A recent story in The Associated Press reports that some small businesses are moving to make their companies more inclusive of the LGBT community following a shooting at a gay club in Orlando that left 49 people dead.
But locally owned business aren’t the only ones raising the rainbow flag. Since North Carolina’s governor signed a controversial bill earlier this year banning cities from allowing transgender individuals to choose which bathroom they use, corporate America has come out in full force to support LGBT equality.
Nationwide, equality is (thankfully) a growing trend. In its Corporate Equality Index 2015, the Human Rights Campaign gave 366 business — an all-time high and up from just 13 companies in 2002 — the distinction of “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.” The largest companies on the list included Chevron Corp., Apple Inc., General Motors Co., General Electric Co. and Ford Motor Co.
Aside from being the right thing to do, supporting equality makes good business sense, especially for those looking to tap into millennials’ incredible spending power.
Here are some facts:
- Millennials “overwhelmingly” support laws that protect LGBT people from discrimination, according to the Center for American Progress.
- A 2014 survey by Google showed more than 45 percent of consumers under 34 years old were more likely to do repeat business with an LGBT-friendly company.
- The Public Religion Research Institute reported earlier this year that 59 percent of Americans opposed allowing small business owners to refuse service to gays and lesbians based on their religious beliefs.
The moral of the story? If your company still has discriminatory policies, it’s definitely time to make some changes. The days where consumers, employees, vendor partners, etc., overlooked them are gone. And those who don’t evolve will suffer.
