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BUSINESS
 

Why Coming Out is Good Business

Corporate Sponsorship of Gay Pride Events on the Rise

Top LGBT Corporate Business Leaders

Openly Gay CEOs

LGBTQ Marketing and Advertising

LGBTQ in the Marketplace
 

LGBT marketing is the act of marketing to LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) consumers, either with dedicated ads or general ads, or through sponsorships of LGBTQ organizations and events, or through the targeted use of any other element of the marketing mix.

The LGBTQ market comprises a large and influential group of customers to a broad range of companies, across industry segments, across many countries around the globe. In the US alone, the LGBTQ market is estimated to be worth $660 billion (2006) in disposable income. Approximately 4% to 10% of adult populations self-identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual, meaning between 12 million and 28 million in the United States alone. Major ad categories include travel, financial services, alcoholic beverages, automotive, entertainment, hair and skincare, luxury goods, pharmaceuticals, and fashion. 

According a survey by Witeck/Combs/Harris, 78% of LGBTQ people and their friends and relatives would switch brands to companies that are known as LGBTQ friendly.

The Power of Being an Out Entrepreneur

How Businesses Are Standing Up for LGBT Rights

Nielson: LGBT Consumer Report

Nielson: State of the LGBT Consumer

Experian: Marketing to LGBT Consumers

LGBTQ Discrimination in Business and Government

According to the Harris Poll (October 2015), the majority of Americans agree that businesses and government officials should not discriminate against LGBTQ people.

As Kentucky’s Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis may now realize, most Americans believe that government officials should not allow their religious beliefs to stand in the way of issuing marriage licenses to all couples. A new national survey reveals that Americans shun this form of discrimination not only by public officials, but also by businesses that wish to deny goods or services to LGBTQ people.

A full two-thirds (67%) of Americans, including 78% of LGBTQ Americans, agreed that a government official should be obligated to serve all of the public and perform all duties, regardless of their religious beliefs. The Out & Equal Workplace survey also confirmed that 60% of Americans (and 80% of LGBTQ individuals) believe that business owners should not be permitted to turn away anyone based on their religious beliefs.

These and other findings were included in the 2015 Out & Equal Workplace Survey, in partnership with Witeck Communications.

“These findings makes it clear that a majority of Americans still believe that fairness and equal treatment are a birthright for all of us.  And that discrimination against LGBTQ people has no justification,” said Selisse Berry, Founder, CEO, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. “This past year, we saw more and more business leaders and corporations boldly oppose discriminatory religious freedom legislation, while standing up for their workforce and their customers.”
 

Gay Market News
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

Companies That Support LGBT Rights

Companies That Do Not Support LGBT Rights

Most LGBTQ Inclusive Brands

Pride Not Prejudice: Discrimination in the Workplace

Strong Support for Federal Non-Discrimination Protections: The survey also informed respondents that there is no federal law today that protects someone who is LGBTQ from discrimination in public accommodations such as restaurants, hotels and other businesses open to all the public. When asked if they would support such a law, 6 out of 10 (62%) Americans agreed, with 44% saying they “strongly support” a federal law, and, by contrast, only 14% saying they “strongly oppose” such a law.

In a related question, the survey found that 21% of Americans believe that LGBTQ people are protected from being fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity in all 50 states, including 12% of LGBTQ people who share this misconception. However, there is no such federal law, and today there are only 22 states with workplace protections based on sexual orientation, and 19 states that include protections for gender identity.
 

State Exemptions for Individual Religious Beliefs: The survey also touched on the rise of state legislation that would expand ways to exempt individuals from laws or regulations that conflict with their religious beliefs. Forty-five percent of Americans say they oppose expanding these religious exemptions at the state level, with just 30% in support. Roughly one out of five, however, said they still were not sure.

“Americans are debating and learning much about the kind of society they desire,” said Bob Witeck, President of Witeck Communications. “The good news is that their distaste for discrimination seems to be growing, and this signal is keenly understood in the marketplace and throughout American life.”

Apple Computers CEO Tim Cook is Gay

"I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."

-Tim Cook / CEO of Apple Computers

In October 2014 Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple Computers, announced to the world that he was gay, making him the highest-profile chief executive to publicly come out. He was born in Mobile, Alabama and grew up and attended school in south Alabama. He is a 1982 graduate of Auburn University. He  And now he is the CEO of Apple Computers, succeeding Apple founder Steve Jobs back in 2011.

Cook becomes the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company, according to gay rights group Human Rights Campaign, who applauded Cook's Bloomberg essay in which he announced his sexual orientation. "Tim Cook's announcement will save countless lives," says HRC President Chad Griffin. "He has always been a role model, but today millions across the globe will draw inspiration from a different aspect of his life."
 

USA Today: Apple CEO Tim Cook Proud to be Gay

Mr. Cook’s decision is unlikely to have any major impact on Apple’s global business, said business analysts and professors. No business executive of Mr. Cook’s stature has ever done something like this before. And while laws legalizing same-sex marriage are sweeping places like the United States, Latin America and Europe, gay rights advocates are still struggling to secure basic protections in Asia, where Apple generated 27 percent of its revenue in the fourth quarter.

"Throughout my professional life, I’ve tried to maintain a basic level of privacy," he says. "I come from humble roots, and I don’t seek to draw attention to myself. Apple is already one of the most closely watched companies in the world, and I like keeping the focus on our products and the incredible things our customers achieve with them." He continues, "At the same time, I believe deeply in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who said: Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others? I often challenge myself with that question, and I’ve come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important. That’s what has led me to today."

"For years, I’ve been open with many people about my sexual orientation, " he explains. "Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me. Of course, I’ve had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people’s differences. Not everyone is so lucky." "While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."

Tim Cook's revelation comes just days after he advocated on behalf of LGBTQ rights in his home state of Alabama. "Alabama is still too slow on equality for the LGBTQ community," he said, per the Associated Press, while calling for laws protecting people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. "Under the law, citizens of Alabama can still be fired based on their sexual orientation. We can't change the past, but we can learn from it and we can create a different future." "As a state, we took too long to steps toward equality," he said. "We were too slow on equality for African-Americans. We were too slow on interracial marriage, and we are still too slow for the equality for the LGBTQ community." Cook's sexuality has been a point of speculation for quite some time. Gawker reported that Cook was gay back in 2011 before he succeeded Steve Jobs. Since then, Cook himself has seemingly dropped hints about his sexuality. In 2013, during a speech about human rights at Auburn University Cook discussed the discrimination he faced as a young person.
 

BP Former CEO Comes Out

In June 2014, the former CEO of BP Oil Company (British Petroleum), Lord John Browne, came out as gay. In his recently published book, "The Glass Closet," Browne reflects on being a closeted gay business executive. During his 12 years as CEO, he never discussed his sexuality in the workplace. That changed in 2007, when his relationship with a male escort was exposed and Browne resigned amid an ensuing scandal. At the time, he said in a statement, "I have always regarded my sexuality as a personal matter, to be kept private."

The presumption in the business world "is that everyone is straight," Browne tells NPR. "The presumption is that a man will have photographs on his desk of his wife and children." But looking back today, he says "it would have been better to come out, rather than not." So Browne has written a manifesto, The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out Is Good For Business. In it, he shares his regrets and urges business to create a more supportive environment for gay and lesbian employees.

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