The Equality Act first passed the House back in 2019, but then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) refused to bring it to the Senate floor for a vote. Senate has the opportunity this month to pass the Equality Act, a law that would federally prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation - if enough Republicans get on board to pass it. (Anheuser-Busch did not respond to a request for comment.) NBCUniversal - celebrating Pride Month with oodles of queer content on its platforms and channels - made 16 donations totaling $24,000 to 11 anti-LGBTQ legislators. (NBC Universal did not respond to a request for comment either.)īut it’s not just local lawmakers standing in the way of progress for the gay community. The beer giant Anheuser-Busch professes a commitment to “promoting inclusion and diversity across our business and supporting the communities we stand by whether through impactful partnerships or empowering our teams.” But the company has made 48 donations totaling $35,350 to 29 anti-LGBTQ legislators, according to the group.
Asked about the gifts, a representative for Coca-Cola noted that the donations in question occurred before the company “updated our political contributions criteria” in the fall of 2020, declaring explicitly that “candidates will not be eligible for a political contribution from The Coca-Cola Company or the Coca-Cola PAC if they have made egregious remarks” on a range of topics that including the “LGBT community.” (Coke “paused” political giving in response to the January 6th attack on the U.S. (GM did not respond to a request for comment.) The Coca-Cola Company claims to show its support for the gay community by doing everything “from supporting LGBTQI pride parades to running rainbow-colored billboards.” Meanwhile, Corporate Accountability Action found Coke and its affiliated PAC have made 28 donations totaling $9,550 to 23 anti-LGBTQ legislators. General Motors - which boasts of being “first automaker to run an LGBTQ-specific ad” - made 63 donations totaling $51,000 to 35 anti-LGBTQ legislators, according to Corporate Accountability Action’s research. By supporting our employees through global advocacy, charitable giving and better workplace practices, we’re hoping to make a difference for LGBTQIA+ communities and beyond, as our drive for positive global impact continues.AT&T isn’t alone. Today, we operate in over 120 countries, many of which still don’t provide legal protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals. We stood as a public supporter for marriage equality even before it became legal in the United States – and we continue to advocate for every type of family. In 1993, we began offering employee benefits for same-sex domestic partnerships, making us one of the first companies in the world to do so. Microsoft introduced sexual orientation into our non-discrimination policies in 1989 – and we’ve been driving LGBTQIA+ inclusion ever since. Our work doesn’t start or stop with Pride. We hope they remind you that by coming together across groups and bridging borders, we can create change for LGBTQIA+ communities and beyond. Thirty-three flags representing different LGBTQIA+ identities, one Ally flag and one Polyamory flag make up this year’s designs.
This Pride, LGBTQIA+ communities at Microsoft are illuminating the interconnected nature of the challenges we face – and calling for a unified global response across all borders, both real and perceived.ĭeveloped with the global LGBTQIA+ employees and allies across Microsoft, our campaign celebrates the nuance, vibrancy and strength of the many LGBTQIA+ communities – and how closely they’re connected.
Standing up for LGBTQIA+ equity since 1989