Following the signing of an antigay Tennessee law prohibiting antidiscrimination ordinances stricter than those on the state level, Americablog Gay published a comprehensive list of companies in the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry that publicly denounced the bill — as well as those that didn't.
The Chamber of Commerce had lobbied for the bill, signed into law Monday night by Tennessee governor Bill Haslam, that voided a Nashville civil rights ordinance barring companies that contract with the city from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill passed the state house in April and the senate last week by a wide margin.
Companies that have local representatives on the chamber board have been heavily scrutinized in recent days as a result. On Monday the New Jersey LGBT rights group Garden State Equality withdrew awards recently bestowed on three such companies — AT&T, KPMG, and Pfizer.
Americablog Gay has tracked statements — some of which were made at virtually the last minute — by corporations on the antigay legislation. Only two, Nissan and Alcoa, were rated as "helpful." Alcoa supported a veto of the bill; Nissan, chair of the Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement Monday prior to passage of the bill: "Nissan opposes HB600/SB632. While we believe in a standard State regulatory environment, we share public concerns about this bill's impact on diversity and inclusiveness. Nissan is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive environment for all stakeholders.”
Read the full company list here.
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