Uber To Offer Free Rides To LGBT Locations

Uber will be offering free rides to certain LGBT locations this weekend after the Orlando shooting, according to CBS.

“Like people across the world, we were deeply shocked and saddened by the recent murders at a gay nightclub in Orlando,” Uber wrote in a statement. “The world is a brighter and better place when we are all free to be ourselves. And we want to bring people together, no matter who you are or where you’re from.”

For rides of up to two people and up to $20, Uber riders in 40 cities will not be charged when going to certain locations. Many LGBT locations are holding charity events and other functions dedicated to those who died in the Orlando shooting. The deal is not available in Orlando, but Uber is offering the families of the victims free trips to wherever they want to go in the city.

Discounts will apply to Uber users in cities like Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and other cities.

During June of last year, Uber put rainbow flags on the car icons in its app for Pride Month, according to Adweek. That temporary change in the app happened to coincide with gay marriage being legalized nationwide by the Supreme Court the same month.

Uber also teamed up with the It Gets Better Project last year, which is a project dedicated to telling young LGBT community members that being LGBT gets better.

“Uber is committed to diversity and inclusion and we’re thrilled to be partnering with an organization dedicated to spreading a message of hope,” Uber wrote at the time. “We’re excited to celebrate Pride Month with you, and we hope you will join us as we ride with pride. Thank you for making a difference.”

In February of this year, West Virginia voted on letting Uber operate in the state, and the majority of its delegates voted to let drivers discriminate against LGBT community members, according to Think Progress. That said, Uber’s internal policies prohibit drivers from discriminating against LGBT people and prohibits users from discriminating against LGBT drivers.

“Uber and its affiliates therefore prohibit discrimination against riders or drivers based on race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, gender identity, age or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law,” the policy reads.

Uber also sponsored gay marriages in California in 2014, according to LGBTQ Nation. They were done during San Francisco’s Pride celebration, and it was to celebrate the anniversary of California approving gay marriage. Eight couples were married.

When North Carolina passed a law earlier this year, House Bill 2 (HB2), that nullified regional LGBT anti-discrimination policies across the state, Uber was one of 90 companies that signed a letter demanding the law be repealed.

“The business community, by and large, has consistently communicated to lawmakers at every level that such laws are bad for our employees and bad for business,” the letter read. “This is not a direction in which states move when they are seeking to provide successful, thriving hubs for business and economic development.”

Uber’s move to give free rides to LGBT locations across the nation this weekend is clearly just one of many moves the company has made attempting to support the LGBT community.

The shooting in Orlando killed 49 and injured 53. It occurred at the Pulse nightclub, which is a well known LGBT club in the city. The shooter, Omar Mateen, was upset by seeing two men kiss in public, according to his father. However, it has also been said that Mateen had been seen at the club several times before the shooting.

[Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images]