Some of the largest American companies are taking a stand on transgender rights as President Donald Trump considers a rollback of legal protections for the group.
More than 50 US companies said Thursday in a letter posted online that they oppose “any administrative and legislative efforts to erase transgender protections through reinterpretation of existing laws and regulations.”
“We call for respect and transparency in policy-making, and for equality under the law for transgender people,” the letter says.
It’s signed by a number of top tech companies, including Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Facebook (FB), Google (GOOGL), Microsoft (MSFT), Twitter (TWTR), Uber and Lyft. Coca-Cola (KO), Pepsi (PEP), Citigroup (C), Bank of America (BAC) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) also added their names.
The letter, which isn’t directly addressed to Trump, said diversity and inclusion are “good for business.”
“Transgender people are our beloved family members and friends, and our valued team members,” it says. “What harms transgender people harms our companies.”
The New York Times reported last month that the Trump administration is working to define sex under Title IX as solely male or female at birth, with no room for change. The proposal could formally be presented to the Justice Department by the end of the year, sources told the Times.
Since Trump took office, companies and their CEOs have been increasingly willing to criticize federal policies they see as contradicting their values.
Top executives such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon frequently weigh in on immigration.
Business leaders have also condemned Trump’s travel bans, the decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement and his remarks about white supremacists in Charlottesville in 2017, which led to the collapse of the President’s business advisory councils.
