Report: Jim Ryan asks PlayStation staff to "respect differences of opinion" on abortion

gamedeveloper.com:

Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan has apparently weighed in on the possible impending legal reversal of Roe v. Wade in an e-mail sent to employees. Said e-mail did not take a stance on the impending decision, but did allegedly ask employees to "respect differences of opinion" on the subject.

The e-mail was obtained by Bloomberg games reporter Jason Schreier, who also spoke to Sony employees angry about its contents. After making a plea for respect, Ryan apparently attempted to lighten the mood by sharing "something to help inspire everyone to be mindful of having balance that can help ease the stress of uncertain world events."

That "something" was an anecdote about celebrating his two cats' birthdays and his desire one day to get a dog. "Dogs really are man's best friend, they know their place, and perform useful functions like biting burglars and chasing balls that you throw for them," he wrote.

One Sony employee told Schreier that they had "never been so mad about a cat birthday before." Other women at the company expressed frustration over the message's "tone-deafness."

This direction from Ryan will probably be news to the team at Bungie, which Sony is in the process of acquiring. Last week Bungie released a statement opposing the impending Supreme Court reversal, declaring that the fall of Roe v. Wade would be "a direct attack on human rights."

"Tone-deaf" is definitely the most tame way to describe this message. Game developers worrying about the likely reversal of Roe v. Wade may find cause to describe it as offensive or outrageous (developers reacting to Schreier's tweet certainly did). For one, Ryan's plea to employees to "respect differences of opinion" asks employees to "respect" the opinion that people