Glad to see companies are taking a stand.
Levi Strauss & Co. @levistraussco 2h2 hours ago
Proud to be open for all, standing with @gapinc in Indiana and beyond: ow.ly/L0m3w #equality
Calling On Retailers to Raise Their Voices Against Discrimination
By Levi Strauss & Co. @levistraussco
Today Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co. are calling on retail and apparel companies, and other businesses, to join us in speaking out against legalized discrimination. Both of our companies have Today Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co. are calling on retail and apparel companies, and other businesses, to join us in speaking out against legalized discrimination.
Both of our companies have a long history of standing up for equal rights and equal opportunity for all. We have consistently spoken out against discrimination and unequal treatment based on race, sex or sexual orientation.
As Indiana, Arkansas, and states around the country enact and consider legislation that perpetuates discrimination, we’re urging State Legislatures to stand up for equality by repealing and voting against these discriminatory laws.
These new laws and legislation, that allow people and businesses to deny service to people based on their sexual orientation, turn back the clock on equality and foster a culture of intolerance.
Discriminatory laws are unquestionably bad for business, but more importantly, they are fundamentally wrong. They must be stopped.
At Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co., we are proud to say we are open to business for everyone.
This post also appears on the aDressed blog from Gap Inc.
Feature image source: One Equal World
Gap Inc. @gapinc 2h2 hours ago
Here's why we partnered with @levistraussco in solidarity against the #IndianaBill bit.ly/1BKJy70 #LetsDoMore
In 2012, a couple in Colorado walked into a bakery to order a cake for their upcoming wedding. The baking, however, never began.
The couple's order was denied because they were gay. This set off a legal battle, and an ongoing conversation around the equal rights of American customers that's continuing today.
The conversation is hitting a new peak. Last week, Indiana Gov. Mike *&@^# signed a state law that prohibits any legal action that would “substantially burden" a person's ability to follow his or her religious beliefs — including when it comes to running a business. Critics claim that the law would allow for open discrimination against LGBT people — such as the Colorado bakery — as well as hotels, restaurants, landlords and other businesses.
Since the law was signed, many businesses have come out against the legalized discrimination — as well as similar laws waiting in the legislature wings of other states, including Arkansas.
Gap Inc. and Levi's Strauss & Co., in a rare partnership from two apparel companies, condemned the law together.
"Discriminatory laws are unquestionably bad for business, but more importantly, they are fundamentally wrong," they wrote in a joint blog post. "At Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co., we are proud to say we are open to business for everyone."
The NCAA, which is hosting the Final Four tournament in Indianapolis this weekend, has said they will take the law into consideration when making decisions in the future about their events. Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, tweeted his support of the protest movement and "welcome ALL fans to Colts Nation."
And Tim Cook, Apple CEO, penned an op-ed in the Washington Post and summed it up as such:
"America's business community recognized a long time ago that discrimination, in all its forms, is bad for business... This isn't a political issue. It isn't a religious issue. This is about how we treat each other as human beings."
Written by
Tighe Flatley
Appreciated.
