The companies joining this statement do business, create jobs, and serve customers throughout the United States. Freedom for All Americans strongly embraces diversity and inclusion because it is important that everyone who works with these businesses or engages in commerce with them feels included and welcomed as their true, authentic selves.
Corporate Values and Fairness
Fairness, equal treatment, and opportunity are central to corporate values because these businesses care about their employees and the customers they serve. Furthermore, these values are crucial to their bottom lines. Inclusive business practices lead to more productive and engaged employees, increased customer satisfaction, and ultimately, improved competitiveness and financial performance.
Concerns Regarding Anti-LGBTQ Legislation
Freedom for All Americans is deeply concerned by the bills being introduced in state houses across the country that single out LGBTQ individuals – many specifically targeting transgender youth – for exclusion or differential treatment.
Targeting Transgender Youth
Laws that would affect access to medical care for transgender people, parental rights, social and family services, student sports, or access to public facilities such as restrooms, unnecessarily and uncharitably single out already marginalized groups for additional disadvantage. These proposed laws seek to place the authority of state government behind discrimination and promote mistreatment of targeted LGBTQ populations.
Impact of Discriminatory Laws
These bills would harm employees and their families, stripping them of opportunities and making them feel unwelcome and at risk in their own communities. Consequently, it becomes exceedingly difficult for businesses to recruit the most qualified candidates for jobs in states that pursue such laws, and these measures place substantial burdens on the families of employees who already reside in these states. Legislation promoting discrimination directly impacts businesses, regardless of whether it occurs in the workplace.
Business and Economic Implications
As complex decisions about where to invest and grow are made, such discriminatory issues can influence business decisions. America’s business community has consistently communicated to lawmakers at every level that such laws negatively affect employees, customers, competitiveness, and state and national economies.
As business leaders dedicated to equal treatment, respect, and opportunity for all – as well as to improving the financial and investment climate across the country – Freedom for All Americans calls on public leaders to abandon or oppose efforts to enact this type of discriminatory legislation and ensure fairness for all Americans.
Signed:
AEO Inc.
Airbnb
Amalgamated Bank
Amazon
American Airlines
Apple
Asana, Inc.
AT&T
Bayer US LLC
Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc.
Boehringer Ingelheim USA
Capital One
Corning Incorporated
CSAA Insurance Group
Dow Inc.
Dropbox Inc.
Eastern Bank
Hilton
HP Inc.
IBM Corp.
IKEA North America Services, LLC
Instacart
Levi Strauss & Co.
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
Lyft, Inc.
Marriott International, Inc.
MassMutual
Microsoft
Mobilize
Nike, Inc.
PayPal
Salesforce
SunLife
Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, including member companies Danone North America; Mars, Incorporated; Nestlé USA; and Unilever United States
TechNet
Trillium Asset Management
Uber
Unilever United States
