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Related: About this forumGay marriage advocates gain corporate support
Gay marriage advocates gain corporate support
Clockwise from upper left corner: The Microsoft, Starbucks, Google and Boeing logos are shown. | AP Photos
Corporations are wading into the once-risky business of supporting gay marriage. | AP Photos
By ABBY PHILLIP | 6/3/12 11:09 PM EDT
Gay marriage advocates have a new and powerful ally in corporate America.
One by one, national corporations like Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing and Google are wading into the once-risky business of taking a position supporting gay marriage in states across the country.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the lawsuit challenging the Defense of Marriage Act, which a federal appeals court called unconstitutional on Thursday. Forty-eight companies, including Nike, Time Warner Cable, Aetna, Exelon Corp., and Xerox had signed a brief arguing that the law negatively affected their businesses.
But the real test will come in November, when voters in four states Maryland, Minnesota, Maine and Washington will head to the polls. To date, gay marriage advocates have yet to win a statewide ballot initiative but hope corporate support and money will help turn the tide.
Last year, 25 executives including the CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Viacom and Alcoa lobbied New York legislators to approve same-sex marriage.
In January, Microsoft, Boeing, Vulcan and RealNetworks were among those who voiced their support for a bill approving gay marriage in Washington state.
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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77002.html
WillParkinson
(16,862 posts)Great to hear that we've got some power in our corners.
Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)Prior to my move to Brazil, my company (over 18,000 employees) had no provisions for same-sex partners. When i was approached for a promotion to regional manager for SAM (South America), I refused since I couldn't bring my partner with me by corporate policy. Our VP of operations even went so far as to agree to allow my partner full benefits, and relocation support if i agreed to move. I still refused on principle. As a result, our corporate policy is now aligned to allow full benefits to same sex partners who are married or in a civil union recognized by either the country they reside in, OR home country, OR if they live in a state (for the US only) that recognizes Civil Unions/Marriage equality.
In the industry I work in, it was a huge step forward.