The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Has a Coming-Out Party
The mainstream business lobby is helping train its members how to address LGBTQ issues.
Illustration: Bráulio Amado for Bloomberg Businessweek
The venerable U.S. Chamber of Commerce—the biggest U.S. lobbying organization and the voice of business on Capitol Hill—is coming out. After decades of silence on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, it’s become a staunch supporter of the proposed federal Equality Act, which makes explicit civil rights protections for LGBT citizens.
The chamber’s new position isn’t brave, exactly. The group’s stance echoes the one its members have almost uniformly endorsed. With Congress deadlocked on LGBT issues and some mostly Southern states pushing laws that would erode court wins for gay rights, Amazon.com, Apple, and Walt Disney and other big companies have been leading voices calling for equality. “We’re a member-driven organization,” says Neil Bradley, the chamber’s chief policy officer. “Based on our discussion with our members and our mandate for what we’re to be for, we think the policy matches up with that.”