Tell AT&T, T-Mobile and other corporations: Stop funding anti-LGBTQ politicians

AT&T;, T-Mobile, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Dell are collectively responsible for donating over $5 million to homophobic and hateful politicians.

While these corporations plaster rainbow flags on their products and brag about their commitment to “equality and diversity” in the workplace, they are also on the frontlines of funding Trump’s war on LGBTQ people. Not only are they profiting from their purported commitment to equality, but they are using those profits to dismantle hard-fought civil rights.

These corporations need to put their money where their values are and stop funding hate.

AT&T; claims to be committed to equality and inclusion in the workplace, yet between 2017 and 2018, it donated $2,755,000 to 193 anti-gay politicians pushing extremist legislation that rolls back years of hard-fought civil rights.¹ Since 2010, AT&T;’s corporate PAC has thrown tens of thousands of dollars to Rep. Jim Jordan, one of the nation’s top anti-LGBTQ bigots who is actively undermining LGBTQ protections and promoting discrimination. Jordan defended bans on same-sex marriages and led the effort to block marriage equality from being recognized in Washington, D.C.² Rep. Brian Babin criticized an Obama-era policy on gender-neutral bathrooms in schools by promoting transphobic ideologies and got $15,000 total from AT&T;, Microsoft, Amazon and Dell.³

AT&T;, T-Mobile, Amazon, Microsoft and Google donated tens of thousands of dollars to Rep. Steve King who successfully led a campaign to recall three state Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in Iowa.⁴ These companies even gave money to Sen. Ted Cruz who recently introduced legislation that would make discrimination on the basis of sexuality and gender identity legal.⁵ This is unacceptable from companies that claim to stand with and fight for the LGBTQ community.

In response to pressure from the public about its political gifts, AT&T; stated that its PACs are “guided by our core values and candidates’ positions that impact AT&T;’s business.” ⁶ It could not be any clearer that AT&T;’s corporate interests are not in line with its purported core values of “diversity and inclusion” – and that these companies are willing to support politicians and positions that harm the very employees and customers they claim to stand with.

These corporations must stop pretending to be allies of the LGBTQ community while bankrolling homophobic and hateful politicians. Will you add your name now to demand they stop funding hate?

Tell AT&T;, T-Mobile, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Dell: Stop financing anti-LGBTQ politicians.

References:

1. Dawn Ennis, “Don’t Let That Rainbow Logo Fool You: These 9 Corporations Donated Millions To Anti-Gay Politicians,” Forbes, June 24, 2019.
2. Casey Quinlan and Josh Israel, “Why are pro-LGBTQ companies bankrolling anti-LGBTQ extremists in Congress?” ThinkProgress, July 18, 2019.
3. Leticia Miranda, “These Tech Companies Are Giving Millions To Politicians Who Vote Against LGBTQ People,” Buzzfeed News, July 11, 2019.
4. Quinlan and Israel, “Why are pro-LGBTQ companies bankrolling anti-LGBTQ extremists in Congress?”
5. Miranda, “These Tech Companies Are Giving Millions To Politicians Who Vote Against LGBTQ People.”
6. Joshua Israel, “Tweet,” July 18, 2019.