A website and billboard poking at Southwest Airlines' diversity practices have drawn attention.
“Recent pushback against businesses such as Anheuser-Busch and Target, blatantly organized by extremist groups, serves as a wake up call for all businesses that support the LGBTQ+ community. We’ve seen this extremist playbook of attacks before. Their goal is clear: to prevent LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation, silence our allies and make our community invisible.”
Todd with the Human Rights Campaign said there’s been an ongoing fight against a coordinated attack from an extreme ideology that “wants to see us pushed back in the closet.” Companies need to lead in this moment, Todd said. Pointing to the North Face and Adidas, which have stood by their commitment to advertising support for individuals in the LGBTQ community, Todd said companies like Target need to stand up to the bullies.
“Sometimes allyship is uncomfortable, especially when values are tested,” Todd said. “Companies should know that it’s not a great look, nor is good for business, to give credence to bullies.”The Dallas carrier has a diversity council that was founded in 2007, with 135 members in 2022. Last year, the carrier introduced inclusion-focused wearable pins, optional for all employees to wear on their uniform.
Of Southwest’s senior management committee, a voluntary self-identification campaign revealed that 94% of its executives are heterosexual or straight, 3% are lesbian or gay, and 3% declined to say., CEO at Resource Center in Dallas, said thousands of businesses and corporations are doing this work. She connects it to the “civil rights victories” that have happened over the years, like the reversal of restrictions for women or people of color, and marriage equality.
“What corporations are faced with, what we’re all faced with, is we have the opportunity to strive for democracy, which is a place that values a variety of voices and experiences,” said Cox, who heads the LGBTQ advocacy and health organization.
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