Trillium Urges Washington State Corporations to Support Marriage Equality Legislation

On January 27, 2012, Trillium Asset Management, LLC and seven other institutional investors wrote to 18 companies based, or with a strong presence, in Washington State, to encourage them to support legislation allowing lesbian and gay couples to marry. The letter states, “We believe it is not only the right thing to do, but that it is smart business practice that enhances competitiveness in attracting and retaining employees from the widest possible talent pool.” Washington-based employers such as Concur, Group Health, Microsoft, RealNetworks, Starbucks and Vulcan and other employers such as Alcoa, Google and Nike have recently endorsed Washington’s marriage equality legislation.

The letter was sent to Alaska Air, Amazon, Boeing, Costco, Expeditors, F5 Networks, JC Penney, Keybank, McDonalds, Nordstrom, PG&E, Perkins Coie, Paccar, T-Mobile, State Farm, Safeway, REI and Walgreens. It was signed by Trillium, the Equity Foundation, the Pride Foundation, the Sustainability Group at Loring, Wolcott, Calvert Investments, the Horizons Foundation, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Tides Foundation.

Trillium Vice President Shelley Alpern said, “Many of the companies we are contacting have admirable LGBT workplace policies. We hope that they will act quickly to ensure that their commitment to fairness and respect for diversity are not undercut by the inability of their LGBT workforce to marry in Washington State. The states that are beginning to recognize and allow gay marriage will have an advantage in attracting and retaining a wider pool of workers.”

The marriage equality bill has been voted out of committee and is said to be on a fast track toward a full vote by Washington legislators.

The full text of the letter can be viewed here.

Since the mid-’90s, Trillium has promoted LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) workplace equality through corporate dialoge and shareholder resolutions. More information about these initiatives can be found here.