CORPORATIONS STAND UP WITH GLAAD IN SUPPORT OF LGBTQ EQUALITY

“We Reject the Harassment and Bullying of the LGBTQ Community”

New GLAAD/Ipsos Poll Reveals Americans Nearly Twice as Likely to Support a Company that is Criticized for Supporting the LGBTQ Community

June 22, 2023 – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today announced that over 50 companies have signed a statement of support for LGBTQ people. Companies that signed the statement include Accenture, Boston Beer Company, Cisco, Dow, Edelman, Eli Lilly and Company, Enact Holdings, Inc., Equinox Group, Eventbrite, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc., HP Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel Corporation, JELD-WEN Holding, Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Logitech, Match Group, McKesson Corporation, Mondelēz International, Inc., Moody’s, Pfizer Inc., Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Sony Music, SoundCloud, Synchrony, Teneo and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

GLAAD statement of support:
“As we celebrate Pride this month, we reject the harassment and bullying of the LGBTQ communities and support the businesses that are trying to serve all in a safe and inclusive manner. Pride at its core is about dignity and equality, and we, the undersigned companies, join together to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ community.”

GLAAD developed the statement following an increase in threats of violence against several companies across the country that have participated in Pride over many years. A full list of companies that signed and agreed to the statement is available below and here. Companies that have not yet signed and would like to are still able to participate by contacting GLAAD directly.

Findings from a new GLAAD and Ipsos poll show a majority of Americans are not opposed to corporate support of Pride:

• Americans are nearly twice as likely to say they would want to back companies facing criticism for supporting people in the LGBTQ community, rather than their critics.
• 74% of Americans are neutral or positively impacted by knowing a company offers Pride merchandise.
• 2 out of 3 Americans are neutral to positive about Pride merchandise in a store seeing it as no different than offering products with a sports team logo or other specialized designs.
• 59% of Americans believe companies offering Pride merchandise are showing support and acceptance of the LGBTQ community.

Statement from GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis: “For decades, hundreds of major brands have and continue to support the LGBTQ community. Some recently experienced criticisms from anti-LGBTQ activists, but they refused to stand down. Those companies are not experiencing negative reputational or monetary impacts to their business. I am encouraged by the corporations who pledge to stand with us, not just during Pride, but all year long. Their commitment to equality should be emulated and celebrated by all companies because it’s the right thing to do – and it’s good for business. Our new research confirms what we already knew about our country’s values: The vast majority of Americans support LGBTQ equality and support brands that choose to include and engage with LGBTQ Americans and our allies. And as corporations seek future success, they must look to the younger generation of consumers and employees who are the most LGBTQ inclusive generation ever, and want to buy from and work for companies that support them.”

Previously released GLAAD research indicates broad public support for the LGBTQ community:

• Most Americans believe that business leaders should lead the charge
  • 53% expect CEOs to inform and shape conversations and policy debates about LGBTQ rights.
  • 59% of Americans say that if a business devoted significant resources to protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community it could have a positive impact.

• Across demographics, Americans seek out employers who take a stand in support of LGBTQ rights:
  • If a brand publicly supports and demonstrates a commitment to expanding and protecting LGBTQ rights, Americans are 2x more likely to buy or use the brand and those aged 18-34 are 5.5x more likely to want to work at a company if it publicly supports and demonstrates a commitment to expanding and protecting LGBTQ rights.
• 70% of non-LGBTQ Americans agree that companies should publicly support and include the LGBTQ community through practices like hiring, advertising and sponsorships.
• Additionally, a 2020 GLAAD and P&G poll of U.S. consumers found:
  • 85% of respondents believe seeing LGBTQ people in ads reflects the company’s commitment to offering products to all types of customers.
  • 82% of respondents believe that it reflects the company’s value for all kinds of diversity.
  • 80% of respondents believe that it reflects that the company is making a statement about the importance of recognizing LGBTQ people.

Full list of companies that signed GLAAD’s statement:

Publicly traded companies:

Absolut Vodka

Accenture

American Airlines

Boston Beer Company

Cardinal Health

Cisco

COTY

Dow

Eli Lilly and Company

Enact Holdings, Inc.

Eventbrite, Inc.

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

H&R Block

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

HP Inc.

Intel Corporation

JELD-WEN Holding, Inc.

The Lagunitas Brewing Company

Levi Strauss & Co.

Livent Corporation

Logitech

Man Group

Match Group

McKesson Corporation

Mondelēz International, Inc.

Moody’s Corporation

Nike

Omnicell, Inc.

Pfizer Inc.

Quantic Dream

Salesforce

SAP

ServiceNow

Sony Music

STARZ #TakeTheLead

Synchrony

Wunderman Thompson

Privately-owned companies:

6 Degrees Diversity Counsel Private Limited

Allegis Group, Inc.

ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM)

Association of National Advertisers

Arbour Counseling Services

Be Kind to All

California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG)

Cornett

DMI Consulting

Edelman

Equinox Group

Equity At Work

EssenceMediacom

Exile Content Studio

FOLX Health

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Greenhouse Software

Global Gateway Advisors

Hopelab

JAG Models

Kellogg Company

Kiva Confections

Lara Leadership Collective

Mars, Incorporated

North Idaho Pride Alliance

Organizing Unique Transformations (OUT) Agency

Recording Academy (GRAMMYs)

Santiago Solutions Group

Seaview

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

SoundCloud

Taimi

Teneo

The Krim Group

Themy

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

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Ipsos Knowledge Panel Methodology

This Ipsos poll was conducted June 2-4, 2023 on behalf of GLAAD, using the KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a representative sample of 1,022 U.S. residents, age 18 or older.

The study was conducted in English. The data were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, Census region, metropolitan status, household income and race/ethnicity. The data for the total sample were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, Census region, metropolitan status, and household income. The demographic benchmarks came from the 2022 March Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS). Party ID benchmarks are from recent ABC News/Washington Post telephone polls. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults.