Planned Parenthood Vs. Komen
A bill that would have diverted state funding from Planned Parenthood's Ohio clinics will not be up for a vote this term. REUTERS

Usually Tumblr’s SXSW party is a highlight of the 10-day long interactive conference in Austin, Texas. Between the headliner bands and the fun themes like “U Up?,” the party is always a crowd pleaser the first weekend of the conference, but this year is a little different.

Tumblr will still of course have great bands, but the party will be a rally instead, a rally for Planned Parenthood. Tumblr founder and CEO, David Karp, is teaming up with Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards to help women feel more supported in tech.

Read: Tinder is donating up to $250,000 to women’s charities in March

The pair put out a statement urging the tech industry to join Tumblr in supporting Planned Parenthood in a time when government funding for the organization and accessible health insurance are at risk. “Technology has become instrumental in the fight for fairness and equality across a range of issues,” reads the statement, “Finally, the tech industry owes its success to the brilliant people it employs and the communities it serves — and we cannot take their health for granted.”

In addition to the rally, both Karp and Richards gave a “featured sessions” talk at the conference Friday afternoon entitled “Activism, Allyship and Where We Go from Here.”

Tumblr is advocating for women in a time while the sexism in the tech industry is on a lot of people’s minds. The tech giant Uber recently came under scrutiny for allegedly mishandling sexual harassment cases, detailed in the story of a former engineer. But other companies like Tinder are doing what they can to support women for Women’s History Month. Tinder is donating money to charities that support women, and has already donated nearly $80,000 to Planned Parenthood.

The rally will be held on Sunday night, and is open to the public. Those who want to attend can register for free.

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