US corporate leaders speak out against anti-LGBTQ bills

‘This issue is not political,’ executives from four major companies wrote in an open letter published Wednesday. ‘Providing the same basic protections to LGBTQ+ people as are provided to protected groups under federal law is the right thing to do for businesses and for society.’

Top executives from four of the largest food companies came together to condemn the growing number of anti-LGBTQ bills under consideration in U.S. state legislatures, including those that target transgender people and particularly children. In an open letter published Wednesday in USA Today, the business leaders denounced the bills as dangerous and called on corporations to take action. The signatories were Chris Adamo, vice president of federal and industry affairs in North America at Danone SA; Brad Figel, vice president of public affairs in North America at Mars Inc.; Molly Fogarty, senior vice president of U.S. corporate and government affairs at Nestlé SA; and Tom Langan, North America director of sustainable business and external affairs at Unilever. “This issue is not political,” they wrote. “Providing the same basic protections to LGBTQ+ people as are provided to protected groups under federal law is the right thing to do for businesses and for society.”