Across the United States, as state legislators have tried to limit the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, one of their biggest opponents has been business. Just last month, executives at more than 80 companies signed a public letter to the governor of North Carolina urging him to repeal an anti-gay law. Other corporations have cancelled plans in states repealing gay rights.
Why are these companies – which include giants such as Apple Microsoft, Marriott, Pepsi and Disney – taking a stand? One reason is that they don’t want their LGBT-identified employees discriminated against.