Google, Microsoft, CBS, Viacom Make History Supporting Gay Workers

By: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

JULY 28, 2017 — Mega corporations such as Alphabet Inc’s [Google], CBS Corp [CBS],  Viacom Inc [VIA], Microsoft Corp [MSFT] and 47 other companies are urging a federal appeals court to rule against a law which would allow sex discrimination in the workplace which currently offers protections to LGBT employees.

The brief submitted by more than 50 large, medium and small companies to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, makes history as the first time ever that we have seen such a large and variety group of businesses backing arguments about employment discrimination that LGBT groups and the administration of former President Barack Obama have made for more than 6 years.

According to the brief filed, all 50 companies stated…“Bias against gay employees is widespread, with more than 40 percent of gay workers reporting harassment and other forms of discrimination in various studies. The lack of a federal law clearly prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has hindered recruitment in states that have not adopted their own,” said the brief.

Lawyers at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan said in the brief…”Recognizing that our uniform federal law protects LGBT employees would benefit individual businesses, and the economy as a whole, by removing an artificial barrier to the recruitment, retention, and free flow of talent.”

NBC News reported…
“The companies asked the 2nd Circuit to revive a lawsuit by the estate of Donald Zarda, who claimed he was fired from his job as a skydiving instructor on Long Island after he told a customer he was gay and she complained. Zarda died in a base-jumping accident after filing the lawsuit. In April, a panel of three 2nd Circuit judges dismissed Zarda’s case, saying the court’s decision in a separate case in 2000 that said discrimination against gay workers is not a form of sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 foreclosed his claims. But last month, the full court, which can overturn the prior ruling, agreed to review the case. That came weeks after a different appeals court in Chicago became the first to rule that Title VII protects gay workers.”

We will continue to follow this case and bring you more information as it is released.