Count Me In: Actions for Corporate Voices

Transgender people across this country are under attack. Hundreds of bills have been introduced in state legislatures that attempt to erase transgender people, make LGBTQ+ folks second class citizens and deny marginalized communities the right to vote — and they must be stopped.

In order to achieve equality, we need those in positions of power at the largest businesses in the country to rise up against injustice and discrimination; businesses that have increasingly, over the years, embraced the inherent benefits of being socially responsible. Corporate social responsibility means companies must integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with stakeholders. It means corporations must define their values with their own actions. In its most basic form, that means they must support their employees, stakeholders and consumers being treated fairly under law.

What can corporate America do to take action? Make your voices heard.

  1. Join this national statement opposing anti-LGBTQ+ state legislation.
  2. Release statements to the media and produce op-eds publicly denouncing anti-equality legislation and explaining why it is bad for business.
  3. Reach out to state and federal lawmakers to make clear your opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
  4. Announce that you will not be advancing new business in states that pass anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
  5. End sponsorship of sporting events in states with anti-transgender bans — and make your decision public.
  6. Join the Human Rights Campaign's Business Coalition for the Equality Act.
  7. Ensure your workplace supports transgender employees. The HRC Foundation’s "Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace: A Toolkit for Employers" provides practical guidance in creating a more inclusive workplace.
  8. Speak out in support of transgender and non-binary people across all of your platforms, including but not limited to your social media channels, emails to stakeholders and other digital platforms. Tag #CountMeIn to show your support.

We ask corporations to go far beyond internal corporate policies and involve all the levers of power that businesses have today. Principles only mean something if we stand by them in inconvenient times. We ask ALL corporate leaders to stand by them now.