Guest column: Major businesses support statewide protections for LGBT people

With the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on marriage for gay couples, Florida's leaders have an important decision to make when it comes to our national and international reputation.

Will we be a state that embraces equality, or will we be seen as a state that resists progress and shuns diversity?

The Supreme Court and Florida judges already concluded that gay couples have a right to marry. But in Florida is those same couples may risk being fired for being part of the LGBT community.

In 57 of Florida's 67 counties, no local ordinances banning discrimination exist. State law provides no protections at all.

When the legislators meet in an early session in January, they will have the chance to act on a bill that would finally update our state nondiscrimination statutes and signal that Florida is a welcoming and inclusive state where success is determined by hard work, not held back by legally sanctioned discrimination.

MAJOR EMPLOYERS SIGN ON

That is why our coalition, Florida Business for a Competitive Workforce, has grown to more than 35 large employers with more than 400 local businesses supporting passage of the Florida Competitive Workforce Act.

This coalition of businesses is calling on Florida lawmakers to make the Sunshine State a leader by making it a place where gay and transgender people can live, work and visit without fear of discrimination.

The coalition is comprised of Florida's major employers, including Fortune 500 companies Darden Restaurants, Disney, CSX, Wells Fargo, Marriott, NextEra Energy, Office Depot and Tech Data. These corporations, as well as Florida Realtors and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, support passage of the Competitive Workforce Act.

Passing the law simply adds gay and transgender people to those protected under existing statewide anti-discrimination laws related to employment, housing and public accommodations.

More than half of Florida's population lives in communities that have sexual orientation and gender identity protections in their local nondiscrimination laws.

In fact, with the passage of nondiscrimination laws in Leesburg and Delray Beach, a total of 32 municipalities in Florida now offer LGBT protections.

Local community leaders should be commended, but in the absence of a statewide law, variations of local non-discrimination laws may leave some business owners confused, especially if they operate in more than one municipality.

During the 2015 Florida Legislative Session, state lawmakers refused to hear the Competitive Workforce Act in committee. But why? Do they fear the political repercussions of supporting or opposing it? They shouldn't.

State and national polls repeatedly tell us such hypothetical concerns influencing lawmakers are based on fallacies.

PUBLIC SUPPORT IS STRONG

For example, the Public Religion Research Institute conducted a nationwide survey in June 2015 that found nearly 7 in 10 Americans favor laws that would protect LGBT individuals against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations and housing. The support is not just coming from liberals and non-religious people.

Rather, 65 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of white mainline Protestants favor such laws.

According to an Internet survey of 500 small business owners conducted for Small Business Majority by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, the poll found that as many as 8 in 10 small business owners support a federal law to protect LGBT individuals against discrimination in public accommodations, such as restaurants, hotels and other businesses that are open to the public.

A series of polls obtained by Time magazine, which surveyed Republican voters in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, showed that "nationally, 59 percent of Republican voters say there should be laws banning discrimination against gays and lesbians in employment, housing, credit, education and public accommodations, such as hotel stays or restaurant service."

Among Republican millennials that number reaches 79 percent support. Twenty-three percent of Republicans surveyed said they would be more likely to support a candidate who endorses a non-discrimination bill.

If you believe Florida lawmakers should pass the Competitive Workforce Act, please tell your state lawmaker Florida should no longer lag behind other states by condoning discrimination against LGBT people.

The time is now for the Sunshine State to show it does not tolerate discrimination of any kind in the workplace and in housing and public accommodations.

¦ Patrick Geraghty wrote this on behalf of The Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce Coalition, a 501c(4) formed to support the Florida Competitive Workforce Act. Geraghty, president of the coalition, is chairman of the board and CEO of Florida Blue

¦ Information, go to www.FlCompetitveWorkforce.com.