Sales force CEO Marc Benioff, Microsoft co-founded Bill Gates, and departed Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg is one of the notable tech executives who spoke out publicly about Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. The ruling ended the constitutional right to abortion in the US, which has existed since 1973.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and many politically outspoken venture capitalists have so far remained publicly silent about the ruling.
Elon Musk’s twitter account, which now has 99.5 million followers, posted a pinned tweet from May that said, “The US birth rate has been below the minimum sustainable level for ~50 years”.
In September 2021, Musk refused to discuss Texas’ strict abortion restrictions, and said he wants to stay out of politics. However, Governor Greg Abbott said the Tesla CEO supported his state’s “social policies” at the time. More recently, Musk said he would consider voting for Governor DeSantis of Florida for president. DeSantis is moving towards further restricting abortions in his state today.
The court’s prediction reversal for Roe v. Wade gives states the power to make their own abortion laws, including an outright ban on all medical and surgical abortions. According to analysis by the Guttmacher Institute, a total of 26 states will severely restrict if not outright ban abortion after the ruling.
Banning abortion in Louisiana, Missouri, Kentucky and South Dakota effective immediately.
When abortion is not legal or available, people face health risks, which can be fatal in some cases. For example, a 31-year-old dentist named Savita Halappanavar died of sepsis in 2012 in Ireland after she was denied an abortion during a miscarriage. A movement arose after her death and Ireland later amended its law to allow legal abortion.
Here’s what these tech executives said after the ruling was issued on Friday:
Marc Benioff, Salesforce CEO
“I believe that CEOs have a responsibility to look after their employees – no matter what. Salesforce moves employees when they feel threatened or discriminated against. To our Ohana – We always make sure you have the best care and benefits and we will always have your back. [heart emoji]”
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft –
“This is a sad day. Reversing Roe v. Wade is an unjust and unacceptable setback. And it affects the lives of women, especially the most disadvantaged.”
Jeff Lawson, CEO of Twilio –
“It’s a dark day in our national history. The deprivation of basic human rights disproportionately affects the nation’s most vulnerable women. Both I and Twilio support it. every woman’s right to choose.”
“Whether the issue is gun safety, women’s rights or even electing officials with a majority vote, it’s getting harder and harder for government to reflect the will of the majority.
“I believe the legitimacy of our government is beginning to be questioned. Between a perfectly controlled house, a senate ruled by a minority willing to oppose, and a Supreme Court has moral authority eroded by occupied chairs… It’s time for reform.”
Sheryl Sandberg, Departure Meta COO:
Public Posts on Facebook:
“I grew up listening to my mother tell me about what women in our country had to go through before Roe. My mother had a friend who left the country for a safe abortion. Most women can’t afford it. do this; some have had abortions in the alley. All women know that they can face impossible choices between taking control of their future and their health and breaking the law.
“I never thought that my mother’s past would become my daughters’ future. I can’t believe I would send my three daughters to college with fewer rights than I have.
“The Supreme Court ruling endangers the health and lives of millions of girls and women across the country. It risks undercutting the progress women have made in the workplace. It will make it harder for women to achieve their dreams, and it will disproportionately affect women with the fewest resources.
“This is a huge setback. For ourselves, our daughters and every generation to come, we must continue to fight. Together, we must protect and expand our ability to continue. near abortion.”
Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp CEO –
“Today’s SCOTUS ruling puts women’s health at risk, negates their human rights and threatens to undo the progress we’ve made towards gender equality in the workplace since Roe. Business leaders must speak up now and call on Congress to unify Roe into law.”
Susan Wojicki, YouTube CEO –
“As a CEO, I realize that there are a lot of opinions about the SCOTUS ruling today. As a woman, it’s a serious failure. Personally, I believes that every woman should have a choice about how and when to become a mother. Reproductive rights are human rights.”
