Last week, the Business Roundtable released a statement, that “redefined the purpose of a corporation” to include:
“Supporting the communities in which we work. We respect the people in our communities and protect the environment by embracing sustainable practices across our businesses.”
"America's CEO's have declared that the role of corporations will shift priority from profits to people. We agree and it is the essence of our campaign: a company's LGBT employees and customers should take priority over politicians that lead the fight against equality,” said Lane Hudson, Zero for Zeros Campaign Manager. “The companies we have contacted have long had the values that have now become the consensus among all corporations. We are making a simple ask to match those values with their corporate PAC contributions and cease support of the most anti-LGBT politicians."
The campaign continues to engage these companies in good faith and is hosting a conversation with these companies on Sept 5, in San Francisco at the Commonwealth Club of California.
In the letter sent to CEOs by Zero for Zeros the campaign asks them to reevaluate and stop donating to anti-gay politicians. The letter states:
“These homophobic Members of Congress are the roadblock to full equality. Our call on you is to publicly act on what you are already committed to. We are asking you to hold them accountable for their actions and earn your support. Just as you have a choice to take the small step we are asking you to take, these Members of Congress we have identified have their own choices to make. All these members would have to do to earn corporate PAC contributions from LGBT allies such as yours is to find just one LGBT item to support that will be scored by the Human Rights Campaign. By doing so, they will fall outside of the parameters of what we are asking. Your company holds the power to start that sea change.
The letter further asks:
“[T]o use this opportunity to align your corporate values with your corporate PAC giving. It will reassure your employees, customers, and more where the company stands...”
Zero for Zeros found that 49 companies that received a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s CEI have donated to members of Congress that are the most outspoken against LGBT equality, earning a ZERO rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard. These companies have contributed a total of $5,837,331 from their corporate PACs to the worst of the worst Members of Congress. Zero for Zeros is asking that the companies’ corporate PACs cease giving to these members of Congress. A summary of the contributions can be viewed on the Zero for Zero’s website.
The following companies identified by Zero for Zeros signed on to the Business Roundtable statement: Amazon, American Airlines, AT&T, Bayer AG, Best Buy, Chevron Corp, Cigna Corp, Cisco Systems, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Dell Inc, Deloitte, Dow Chemical Co, Ernst & Young, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, Mastercard, Morgan Stanley, Northrop Grumman, Oracle Corp, Pepsico, Pfizer, Pricewaterhousecoopers, Procter & Gamble, Sap America, United Parcel Services / UPS, Visa Inc, Whirlpool Corporation.
A diverse group of leading activists signed on in support of the campaign and is running digital ads and digital video engaging employees and allies to join the campaign.
