Some Good News!

With all the bad news in the news finally some good news… businesses are standing up for us. They stood up for us in North Carolina against HB 2 and now in Idaho.

Big Idaho businesses come out against transgender bills
Idaho Press
By Nathan Brown
March 4, 2020

BOISE — Four of Idaho’s major employers have come out against bills that would block transgender people from changing their birth certificates and ban transgender girls and women from playing on female high school and college sports teams.

In a letter sent March 2 to Senate State Affairs Committee Chairwoman Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, and Vice Chairman Mark Harris, R-Soda Springs, Chobani, Clif Bar, HP and Micron expressed concern these bills could hurt their ability to recruit employees.

Their letter says,

Dear Senators Lodge and Harris:

We write to share our concerns regarding legislation that recently passed the House of Representatives and is now pending in the Senate. Specifically, this includes House Bills 500 and 509.

As businesses, we’re committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion, and we are very proud to call Idaho home. It’s a privilege and honor to be ambassadors for the state in our daily interactions with customers, communities, and companies across the nation and around the world. We proudly talk about its strong and growing economy, and how it’s one of the best places in the nation to do business and live. Most important, we talk about the welcoming, big-hearted spirit of its people, and why our employees are so grateful to live and raise their families here.

This is a well-earned reputation and these bills targeting transgender Idahoans puts that reputation at risk and goes against creating a workforce that welcomes all. Passage of these bills could hurt our ability to attract and retain top talent to Idaho, and it could damage Idaho’s ability to attract new businesses and create new jobs.

With respect, we ask you to support all of Idaho’s diverse communities and reject these measures.

Businesses are realizing that in order to attract talent that quality of life is important and are speaking out against discrimination.

But do the businesses really follow through with their concerns?

Unfortunately I don’t think so,  I think businesses just think of their bottom line, they might talk the talk but few follow through. I think personnel concerns are important but not more important than profits.