Apple is officially putting its weight behind new LGBT anti-discrimination legislature currently being proposed in Congress. The company said in a statement to the Human Rights Campaign that it actively supports the Equality Act.
Apple’s support for the bill that would expand federal protections in the workplace to LGBT Americans in all states follows several years of Apple CEO Tim Cook calling on Congress to pass such legislation, and Apple’s backing is in line with its own company policies.
Nearly two years ago, the Apple CEO published an op-ed in the WSJ asking for Congress to pass the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, and again made the same request publicly early last year. Cook wrote quite candidly about his passion for LGBT issues and equality in an essay last fall in which he first publicly acknowledged being gay.
As a company, Apple hasn’t been shy about publicly positioning itself behind the LGBT equality movement either. The company has maintained a sizable presence at San Francisco’s annual Pride parades for years. Apple has also publicly opposed unpopular, anti-gay legislation in the past.
The Equality Act that Apple backed today would serve to extend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ensure LGBT Americans cannot legally face discrimination when it comes to employment, housing, and other issues where 31 states currently don’t enforce protections.
