Brandon Wade, CEO of SeekingArrangement

A women's website called him "an unlikely ally"

There has been a range of reactions to moves in US states, including Alabama and Georgia, to restrict abortion. Actress/activist Alyssa Milano called for a "sex-strike" following the Alabama bill, while Netflix and Disney have threatened to move their operations out of Georgia.

Now, in perhaps the most distasteful reaction, the CEO of a "sugar daddy" website has promised to pay for the abortions of women living in states such as Alabama.

"Monetized dating"

Brandon Wade is founder and CEO of SeekingArrangement, a site with over 10 million members that connects "sugar Babies" to "sugar Daddies or Mommas" for monetized dating. Although the relationships are supposed to be "mutually beneficial", they overwhelmingly involve rich older men and poor young women, many of whom, according to Mr Wade, use what they earn to pay off student debt. He admits that there’s a "fine-line" between SeekingArrangement and prostitution.

Protecting the bottom line

Mr. Wade also runs other dating sites including OpenMinded.com, which promotes so-called "ethical cheating". Perhaps realising that his business concerns would be threatened in an environment where abortion wasn’t easily available to deal with the results of such transient relationships, Mr Wade says he and his girlfriend will set up a charity to pay for abortions.

"If lawmakers will not step in and help these desperate women, then I will," he said in a video. "Although Alabama’s law has yet to take effect, I’m working proactively with Zoe to launch a charity, Fight Against Poverty, so that when any state makes the decision to deny women the right to make choices about her body, we can help. We will provide women and families, who cannot afford to provide for themselves, travel out of their home state to access proper healthcare and to exercise their right, their choice."

The Refinery website, "the leading global media company focused on young women", praised Mr Ward for his "charitable" initiative, calling him an "unlikely ally".  How depressing that a website that seeks to change "the way content and storytelling speaks to and represents women" praises a man who promotes the exploitation of women and then offers to help them kill their unborn children.