The
Human Rights Campaign recently announced the formation of a
business coalition made up of Fortune 500 and brand name companies that
support ending federal discrimination against legally married gay and
lesbian couples. Currently, because of the Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA), lawfully married same-sex couples are not recognized by the
federal government and are thereby denied more than 1,100 federal rights
and benefits – including filing taxes jointly, taking unpaid leave to
care for a sick spouse, and Social Security survivor benefits – that
come with marriage.
The new Business Coalition for DOMA Repeal is throwing its support
behind the Respect for Marriage Act, which repeals DOMA and recognizes
all legal marriages for federal purposes. The Respect for Marriage Act
has attracted bipartisan support. Republican Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
(R-FL), Richard Hanna (R-NY), and Charles Bass (R-NH) were among those
supporting the bill in the last Congress. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) have sponsored the legislation in the House
and Senate, and are likely to reintroduce it in the current Congress
next month.
"Marriott was founded on the principle of putting its people first, and
that includes our LGBT associates," said David Rodriguez, executive
vice president and chief human resources officer at Marriott
International. "We are proud of our longstanding commitment to
diversity, inclusion and equal treatment of all our employees within our
benefits programs. Joining the Business Coalition for DOMA Repeal
affirms that commitment, and we urge Congress to pass this important
legislation."
Joining Marriott as members of the Business Coalition for DOMA Repeal
are: A|X Armani Exchange, Aetna Inc., Biogen Idec, Bristol-Myers Squibb,
Diageo North America, eBay Inc., Electronic Arts, Kimpton Hotel &
Restaurant Group LLC, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company,
Replacements, Ltd., Sun Life Financial U.S., and Thomson Reuters. Aside
from being fundamentally unfair to married same-sex couples, DOMA also
causes administrative headaches and tax inequities for companies as they
simply try to treat their employees fairly. The coalition continues to
grow as more companies take a stand and affirm that DOMA is bad for
business.
"We're proud to join the HRC and our coalition partners in supporting
this important initiative that reflects Thomson Reuters’ own principles
and policies on diversity, inclusion, fairness and equality," said Patsy
Doerr, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Thomson Reuters.
Gay and lesbian couples can lawfully marry in nine states and the
District of Columbia, and polls show strong majorities of Americans
favor treating gay and lesbian couples fairly and equally.
"These corporate pioneers understand one marriage deserves no less
respect and dignity than any other marriage," said HRC President Chad
Griffin. "They understand that repealing the discriminatory Defense of
Marriage Act is the right thing for our nation, and the smart thing for
American business. We call on both large and small businesses to add
their voices to the growing chorus calling for an end to this odious
law."
Companies interested in joining the coalition can sign-up here.