Following the decision to overturn landmark abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade in the US yesterday (June 24) by the Supreme Court, gaming and entertainment companies are making statements in support of reproductive rights, criticising the ruling.
Bungie had previously spoken out against the overturning back in May, making clear its stance that “everyone has a right to choose their own path”. Bungie updated that blog post yesterday, reiterating that it “is committed to ensuring that every one of our employees and their families have safe and affordable access to essential healthcare needs,” and adding that they are now going to be implementing “a travel reimbursement program for any employee” to use to access those needs. Bungie closed its update by offering organisations to donate to that support abortion rights.
The studio, which is set to be acquired by Sony, had previously said that there was “no muzzle big enough” to silence their support of reproductive rights, after a controversial email from PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan made its way into the public eye which said employees should “respect differences of opinion” and refrain from making statements surrounding the controversial overturning.
Yes.
— pete parsons (@pparsons) May 17, 2022
It seems as though Sony could have made a U-turn on that decision though, as various Sony-owned companies have begun to speak out and make their stances clear. Insomniac, Bend Studio, Media Molecule, Sucker Punch and Guerrilla all posted to Twitter, noting that “reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy are human rights”. Naughty Dog released a longer statement shortly afterwards. This messaging across PlayStation studios is particularly pertinent considering Sony’s earlier alleged response to the situation.
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) June 24, 2022
Ubisoft has also made its position clear, in a tweet that states, “Today and every day, we believe that reproductive rights are human rights, women’s rights are human rights, trans rights are human rights, and equal rights for all are essential to a world where everyone can be their authentic selves and thrive.” The short but powerful statement has been welcomed by fans, but some have noted the absence of their donations to any abortion funds so far.
Other entertainment companies that will cover expenses for employees to travel to other states for abortions include but are not limited to Netflix, Paramount, Comcast, Sony, Warner Bros Discovery, Amazon and Disney.
You can support reproductive rights by donating to the following causes:
- The National Network of Abortion Funds splits donations evenly between abortion funds that need it the most.
- The Abortion Care Network aims to support independent abortion care providers.
- Indigenous Women Rising provides abortions to Indigenous communities across the US.
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