Art Director's Guild, CAA, National Association of Latino Independent Producers ( NALIP ), Netflix, SAG-AFTRA, Univision and Viacom all undersigned the below open letter from GLAAD that sends a message to governors and state legislators that anti-LGBT legislation is not congruent with their values. The letter appeared in Variety.
As representatives of our nation's entertainment and media industry, we wish to express our profound disappointment in the proliferation of anti-LGBT legislation being considered across this great country. By standing togetherand alongside so many others who are speaking out from the corporate and business communities at the national, state, and local levelswe hope to demonstrate that the kind of discrimination being proposed ( and, in some cases, enacted ) is simply unacceptable.
Recently, North Carolina went further than any state has gone by passing a bill that was immediately signed by the state's governor, revoking important protections for LGBT people previously secured at the local level. This new legislation asserts that state law overrides all local ordinances addressing employment, wages or public accommodations.
Meanwhile, more than 100 other bills targeting LGBT people have been introduced in states and cities across the country. It's important to note that these attacks don't just put LGBT Americans in the crosshairs; they also put the basic rights of other religious and ethnic minorities in jeopardy.
The results of such laws taking effect across the nation makes it difficult to attract and retain workers, grow local and state economies, and bring top talent to schools and universitiesall of which our communities depend on for sustainability. Finally, it undermines the core values of the companies we represent and those of a majority of this nation's most successful and profitable businesses.
Let us be clear. Entertainment is not just one of our nation's most powerful economic drivers; it's also one of our greatest cultural exports to the rest of the world. As leaders charged with making a difference in your cities, towns, and states, we implore you to stand with us and reject any and all efforts to legalize discrimination. Send a strong and clear message to the rest of the world that Americaand your communitiesremain places where all people are respected, welcomed and treated equally.
Matt Goodman
Associate Director of
Communications, GLAAD