[fhkatari]

I work for a company, headquartered in the Mid West, that has been very public in their support of LGBTQ rights, among other things. Do you think corporations should take a public stance in support of abortion rights? Will tech companies continue to flock to Texas, in what will become a very difficult environment for abortion?

[Hermitian909]

> Will tech companies continue to flock to Texas, in what will become a very difficult environment for abortion?

Recruiting for tech in Texas has already taken a hit due fear around abortion (getting employees to move down there can be quite difficult).

More broadly, I think this is likely to put a big damper on high-end knowledge work in conservative states. Educated people are overwhelmingly liberal. While you could certainly find a subset of knowledge workers who don't have an issue working in a state banning abortion, the difficulties with hiring and transfers probably won't pass a cost benefit analysis (again, we already see this in Texas).

[matsemann]

I always find it a bit funny that HN/tech crowd is generally considered liberal, when I as a Norwegian feel opinions here are sooo conservative. Guess it depends on frame of reference. Democrats would probably be far to the right in Norway?

[Hermitian909]

I'm definitely using the American frame of reference here. I'd totally agree most of my colleagues who self-describe as liberal would be conservatives through much of Europe.

[kansface]

No, it really depends on the issue - economics, speech, voting rights, gender rights, abortion rights. Of the later, Democrats are far to the left of Europeans.

Also, I’ll point out that HN (and SV) has a little “l” libertarian streak (entrepreneurship) which favors smaller government and personal accountability/agency.

[hotpotamus]

"Knowledge" worker in Texas here (native; didn't move here). I don't feel this affects me for a few reasons, but I will say that I'm also aware that 1. I can travel out of state, and 2. drugs are available online and there are drugs that can provide medical abortions - perhaps those can be put together.

That said, in talking with a colleague this morning, we agreed that if the state does go completely crazy and manages to secede, we just want enough notice to sell our property so we can leave.

[charwalker]

I'd assume the GOP leadership in TX will act in bad faith or for their protection first. If you have a single female friend or associate this ruling will impact you. It will have far reaching consequences beyond just abortion access including the possibility of IVR becoming illegal as well. We're about to see a huge slate of medical procedures and practices caught up in this ruling.

[davidgay]

> 2. drugs are available online and there are drugs that can provide medical abortions - perhaps those can be put together.

And you are willing to risk going to prison for murder (that's what they will call it) if caught?

[hotpotamus]

Have you seen the recent news from Texas? You might have noticed that our police aren't all that effective.

[seventynine]

The Texas law makes it so any citizen can file a civil suit against anyone who has an abortion, including ones performed out of state. There are already pro-life organizations that will help people fund these civil suits.

[lesstyzing]

While I am pro-legalised abortion I think this is a separate kind of issue to LGBT rights, racial equality etc. LGBT rights/racial equality is about treating everybody equally. Almost no 'good' people are opposed to those things. There are plenty of good people who literally believe abortion is the murder of a baby. I disagree but I don't agree that it's an unreasonable opinion. Given that, I think companies taking a stance on it would cause a lot more division than when they take a stance on more clear cut social issues.

[rootusrootus]

> Almost no 'good' people are opposed to those things.

That is an interesting perspective. You just called something like 100M or more Americans not good people. I am not being hyperbolic. Talk to them. On the surface they are friendly, easygoing, etc, but switch the topic to LGBT rights and listen. The very fact that they believe there is such a thing as "gay rights" tells you a lot. Good luck trying to educate them on how "cannot discriminate based on sexual preference" is not the same thing as giving gay people special rights.

[lesstyzing]

>> You just called something like 100M or more Americans not good people

Fair enough. So long as they believe they deserve more rights than another group of people, they're not good people. Hopefully they'll change their opinion. I've known plenty of people to change their opinion on this issue over the years and hopefully it'll continue on that trajectory. My point was more than on those issues it's simply one group that thinks another group does not deserve to be treated equally. With abortion it's more two sets of competing 'rights' - the woman and the foetus.

[jbeam]

Those people also believe that LGBT people aren't "good people." Why shouldn't we return the favor?

What special rights? The right to not get thrown in jail for being gay?

[bitcurious]

After reading a bit about Austin this morning (but before this news) I was browsing zillow + google maps, trying to get a feel for the city. Basically I'm tired of winter. It's a total non-starter now though.

[lp0_on_fire]

>Do you think corporations should take a public stance in support of abortion rights?

No. We already have enough corporate influence in the political sphere.

[major505]

They will if they have some kind of tax relief.

[cryptonector]

Texas has no income tax. But the property tax functions as a backdoor income tax because there is rich school district to poor school district redistribution. Therefore property taxes are high in Texas, though not higher than, say, in New Jersey (which also has an income tax).

[theandrewbailey]

> Do you think corporations should take a public stance in support of abortion rights?

Some companies have even gone so far as paying for abortions. That's disgusting. It reveals that The Man doesn't want women's productivity to go down and would rather work them to the bone instead. Out of the kitchen and into the office? That might be a bad deal.

[ctvo]

> Some companies have even gone so far as paying for abortions. That's disgusting. It reveals that The Man doesn't want women's productivity to go down and would rather work them to the bone instead. Out of the kitchen and into the office? Might be a bad deal.

Or it could reveal that abortions, even in the best circumstances, cost money -- time off of work and travel expenses for example. Perhaps these companies support women having access to it regardless of their economic status.

It'll blow your mind, but some companies even allow employees time off to vote in elections, partially for the same reasons.

[_ph_]

While I think that these kind of things shouldn't require a company to take any action in, this isn't "going so far as" in a country where medical care is basically tied to your job. If your company guarantees medical care, why is paying for an abortion anyhow different? But indeed I prefer a system of public health insurances which keep these matters independent of your employer.