50 Employers Join for First-of-Its-Kind Amicus Brief in Support of Employment Discrimination Protections

Today 50 businesses representing more than 370,000 employees filed a friend-of-the-court brief in Zarda v. Altitude Express, Inc., a case being heard by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals concerning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. The signatories include Microsoft, Viacom, Spotify, Ben & Jerry’s, Levi Strauss & Co., and more, representing companies large and small, local and multinational, spanning a diverse geographic region.

This is the first time that businesses have explicitly taken the legal position that discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on sex.

Click here to read the brief.

About the Brief:

The brief was authored by Quinn Emanuel, the largest law firm in the world devoted solely to business litigation and arbitration, and states in part:

  • Excluding sexual orientation from the protections of Title VII imposes both human and financial costs on businesses by impeding the diversity and inclusion that is central to a productive work environment.
  • Excluding sexual orientation from federal nondiscrimination laws leaves LGBT employees and their families vulnerable to employment discrimination and economic disruption because such employees are protected only by a patchwork of state and local laws, which often provide less protection (if any) from discrimination in hiring, promotion, termination, or any other conditions of employment
  • A uniform federal law that protects LGBT employees would benefit individual businesses and the economy as a whole by guarding against an artificial barrier to the recruitment, retention, and free flow of talent. The status quo thus discourages LGBT employees from pursuing opportunities in cities and states that offer lesser protection, resulting in a fragmented workforce.

Thank You to All 50 Signers of the Brief:

AdRoll, Inc.
Ben & Jerry’s
Betterment
Boston Community Capital
Brandwatch
CBS Corporation
Citrix Systems, Inc.
City Winery
Davis Steadman Ford & Mace, LLC
DoorDash, Inc.
Dropbox, Inc.
Eastern Bank
Edelman
FiftyThree, Inc.
Freedom for All Americans Education Fund
Google Inc.
Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation
Gusto
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Inc.
IAC/InterActiveCorp
IHS Markit Ltd.
Indiegogo
INUS Group LLC
Johnston, Kinney & Zulaica LLP
Kargo
KEO Marketing Inc.
Kickstarter, PBC
Levi Strauss & Co.
Linden Lab
Lyft, Inc.
Mapbox, Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
OBOX Solutions
On 3 Public Relations
Physician’s Computer Company
Pinterest
Puma Springs Vineyards
Quora Inc.
S&P Global Inc.
Salesforce
Shutterstock, Inc.
Spotify
Sun Life Financial U.S.
Thumbtack
TodayTix
Trust Company of Vermont
Vermont Gynecology
Viacom, Inc.
Wealthfront Inc.

More About the Case:

Zarda v. Altitude Express, Inc. will be heard en banc, meaning before the full court, by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals based in New York, which has jurisdiction over Connecticut, Vermont and New York. The full full court will reconsider an exclusionary 17-year-old legal precedent that states employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is not prohibited under federal law.

The case is being led by Gregory Antollino, a lawyer in New York with a long history of trying employment discrimination cases.

Courts are increasingly catching up to public opinion on the issue of LGBT equality in the workplace. A groundbreaking decision from the full 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in April in a case filed by Lambda Legal held that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — the first time a federal appellate court has ever reached this conclusion.

Clearly, momentum for LGBT non-discrimination is building and picking up steam. As Freedom for All Americans continues to pursue opportunities to advance legislation at the local, state, and federal level, we also applaud our indispensable legal partners for their work in the courts. This movement in the courts builds undeniable momentum toward federal resolution and provides critical education opportunities to help more Americans understand the need for non-discrimination. Together, with the strategies of securing court wins and encouraging policymakers to take action on inclusive laws, we can protect more people as quickly as possible and ensure that no one faces discrimination because of who they are or who they love, in any aspect of their daily lives.

SHARE
ADD YOUR VOICE

Welcome to the America Competes Website

May 3, 2017 by admin

Across the country, business leaders understand that protecting every American from discrimination is good for the economy. Business leaders know that today’s generation of consumers prefer to shop at businesses that support LGBT people – and increasingly, Americans prefer working at a company that strongly supports the LGBT community.

Treating LGBT employees with dignity and respect is not only the right thing to do – it’s good for the bottom line.

That’s why we’re excited to bring together businesses large and small for the launch of America Competes, because they know LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination protections are vital for attracting and retaining a talented workforce. Looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities facing Freedom for All Americans’ campaign to end anti-LGBT discrimination, America Competes aims to harness the power of a national business coalition to grow corporate and public support through an aligned vision incorporated by this coalition’s pledge of guiding principles, dedicated services and educational resources.

Take a look through the America Competes website to better understand the business case for nondiscrimination – and then sign up to join! Just click here.

In the coming weeks, this website will become a home base for businesses committed to the campaign to win LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination protections. We’re looking forward to providing our partners with the best messaging, social media support, and research available to guide your organization’s efforts.

 

Business

SHARE
ADD YOUR VOICE

Florida LGBT Rights Push Reflects Changing Times

May 2, 2017 by admin
SHARE
ADD YOUR VOICE

Anti-LGBT HB2 Cost North Carolina at Least $3.7 Billion, New Analysis Finds

March 27, 2017 by admin
SHARE
ADD YOUR VOICE

Tennessee Thrives: It Pays for Nashville to be a Welcoming Community

December 22, 2016 by admin
SHARE
ADD YOUR VOICE

Businesses Say Anti-LGBT Bills Could Cost Texas Billions

December 6, 2016 by admin
SHARE
ADD YOUR VOICE

The Best And Worst States For Business 2016: Forbes Adds LGBT Equality to Annual Index

November 16, 2016 by admin
SHARE
ADD YOUR VOICE

Non-Discrimination Laws Make U.S. States More Innovative

August 17, 2016 by admin
SHARE
ADD YOUR VOICE

Official: RFRA Cost Indy Up to 12 Conventions and $60M

January 25, 2016 by admin
SHARE
ADD YOUR VOICE