Corporations Funding Anti-LGBTQ Policies

Popular Information, a newsletter run by Judd Legum, created an infographic detailing the corporate contributors to the supporters of Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Startlingly, many of these sponsors have strongly supported the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, while privately donating to the supporters of ending discussion of gender and sexual orientation in Florida schools, a measure opponents believe will make life harder for LGBTQ youth.

Notable examples of this hypocritical public support can be found below.

• United Healthcare celebrated PRIDE Month, claiming its million was to “help people live healthier lives regardless of age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

• Comcast NBCUniversal won an award for its inclusive policies. “It is important to us that every employee at our company — including LGBT employees and their allies — feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work every day,” said a spokesperson for the company.

• Anhaeuser-Bush made “it loud and clear… A-B stands for diversity, respect and meritocracy.”

• Walgreens has tweeted in support of Pride, claiming “Love wins. Always.”

These are certainly not the first examples of corporations publicly proclaiming support for the LGBTQ+ community, while supporting candidates that advocate for legislation that harms the LGBTQ+ community.

Just last week, AT&T — a company with a history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights — donated $10,000 to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s reelection campaign, as reported by Judd Legum in Popular Information. Paxton made national headlines a few days later by ordering the state’s child welfare agency to investigate reports of gender-confirming care for kids as abuse — a directive that undermines transgender rights.