THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR LGBT NON-DISCRIMINATION
Nebraska can avoid major competitive risks – and win investment, business, and talent – by sending a clear and consistent signal that the LGBT community is fully welcome here. This message matters to large and small businesses, to tourism and travel bookers, and to talented workers.
Treating LGBT people fairly and welcoming them warmly costs nothing and would change our state’s brand for the better, while creating quantifiable, long-term economic benefits.
That’s what we call a smart business decision.
WELCOMING VISITORS
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47%
Of meeting and convention planners say they will “absolutely avoid” booking meetings in states that pass anti-LGBT legislation (Meetings & Conventions Magazine)
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1 BILLION
Number of negative social media posts about Indiana’s stance on LGBT rights in just 30 days in 2015
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$100M
Cost to the North Carolina economy due to the relocation of the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte to New Orleans
STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMY
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$1 BILLION
Facebook’s investment in a new data center in Fort Worth; executives cited the city’s LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination law as part of their decision
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2,000+
New jobs lost due to canceled corporate investments in North Carolina over LGBT issues
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$600M
Five-year economic damage to hotel & meetings industry, as estimated by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, if anti-LGBT legislation had been signed into law
ATTRACT TALENT
When recruiting top talent, a welcoming stance toward LGBT people matters—not just for LGBT workers, but for recruiting all talented workers.
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79%
Of non-LGBT Millennials want to see workplace non-discrimination for their peers
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30%
States with LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination protections attract large numbers of inventors, who in turn produce 30% more patents than their peers
(Harvard Business Review) -
75%
Millennials will make up 75% of the U.S. workforce by 2030
(Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Businesses are watching state legislatures. They are investing in states with laws that foster diversity, inclusion, and a robust workforce. And states that sanction LGBT discrimination simply cannot compete.
LGBT non-discrimination protections are an investment in stronger communities and a stronger economy.
