December 19, 2018
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, has issued a statement regarding the reappointment of Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner Chai Feldblum, which is being blocked by Senator Mike Lee of Utah. The following statement is attributed to NGLCC Co-Founder & President Justin Nelson and Co-Founder and CEO Chance Mitchell:
“Commissioner Feldblum’s reappointment to the EEOC should proceed without the clearly discriminatory hold being placed on it by Senator Mike Lee of Utah. He is asserting that her ‘radical views on marriage’ make her unfit for the job, despite marriage equality being settled Constitutional law in the United States and that her lengthy record of exemplary public service earned her this reappointment by President Trump. All of America’s workers, employers, and contractors, of which the LGBT community makes up a major block, benefits greatly by having leaders on the EEOC from diverse communities, like Commissioner Feldblum.
Recent pro-LGBT rulings by the EEOC have put a federal stamp of approval on a long-held corporate best practice of including sexual orientation and gender expression in non-discrimination policies. By allowing workers to feel protected in the workplace, they are empowered to bring their best selves to the workplace, which increases productivity, raises performance levels, and retains top LGBT talent. We need voices like hers as we face an upcoming Supreme Court term that is sure to have several cases that speak directly to the protections LGBT people deserve in the workforce and marketplace. Just as we saw a patchwork of marriage laws ultimately evolve into a unified protection of the freedom to marry, these important steps toward a more-inclusive business environment are essential to ensuring all LGBT workers and business owners have equal access to the American Dream from coast to coast. The NGLCC decries Senator Lee’s attempts to use anti-LGBT bias against the reappointment of a dedicated, out public servant like Commissioner Chai Feldblum.”
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ABOUT NGLCC:
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses. www.nglcc.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jonathan Lovitz
Senior Vice President, NGLCC
press@nglcc.org | 202.499.3042
