America Competes’ members work hard to create safe, inclusive, and supportive environments for their employees and the communities they serve. And this spirit of inclusion and opportunity extends beyond the workplace. At work and in the community, everyone deserves to feel safe, included, and able to contribute and participate fully, free from fear of discrimination based on who they are. We help businesses share the clear case for inclusion and nondiscrimination, and we take a nonpartisan approach to conversation, education, and progress on this important issue.
In order for American businesses to compete for top talent, and to operate in thriving, forward-looking environments, our workplaces and communities must be diverse and welcoming for all people, regardless of race, sex, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Our members embrace the following guiding principles:
All people should have the same opportunities:
Everyone should have the opportunity to earn a living and provide for themselves and their families. No one should have to fear being fired for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance.. Everyone should be able to work hard and put a roof over their family’s heads without fear of discrimination for who they are. And as they go about their everyday lives and participate in their communities, no one should have to worry about being discriminated against because of who they are.
Many Americans are already protected from discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, and disability. But there is no nationwide law protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination. We support measures that ensure all Americans, including LGBTQ people, are treated fairly and equally under our laws and in our communities.
Inclusivity fosters innovation:
Our workplaces and our communities are strongest when everyone can focus on doing their jobs, providing for their families, and contributing to their communities. Evidence shows that discrimination is bad for economic growth – it inhibits innovation and makes it harder to recruit and retain top talent and to compete for tourism business. It’s also bad for the quality of life of our employees and their family members, and that’s something we care deeply about.
The progress we’ve made is important, and we’re not going backward:
In recent years, there have been critical steps forward to ensure LGBTQ people are treated fairly and equally under our laws. We believe our businesses and our communities benefit from that progress, and we will not support any attempts to roll back these existing protections.
Local protection matters:
We reject any attempt by lawmakers to override local nondiscrimination ordinances that reflect local values and that have been put in place to strengthen a municipality’s economy and to ensure all its residents and visitors are treated fairly and equally under the law.
Freedom of religion is one of our most fundamental rights as Americans:
We see no conflict between maintaining religious freedom and ensuring that all of our customers, employees, and employees’ families are treated equally. Religious freedom doesn’t give any of us the right to discriminate or treat others unfairly because of who they are. We oppose any policies or laws that would allow employers, businesses, or taxpayer-funded institutions to discriminate against others.