Yesterday, Nissan was among the many businesses in Tennessee and around the world to voice opposition to HB600/SB632 – the proposed law that would remove discrimination protections for LGBT individuals throughout the state.
The car manufacturer issued an official statement against the discriminatory bill, stating that the company shares “public concerns about this bill’s impact on diversity and inclusiveness,” and remains committed to “providing a diverse and inclusive environment for all stakeholders.”
HB600/SB632, also known as the Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act, includes language that would reverse an earlier ordinance requiring any company who engages in commerce with the city of Nashville to abstain from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Nissan is one of the many businesses in Tennessee (including AT&T, Comcast, FedEx and Pfizer) who now stands against the bill as a member of the executive committee of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. While the committee originally approved the bill, intense response from activist groups and anti-discrimination advocates urged the Chamber to reverse their stance on the measure.
Despite the Chamber’s now public opposition to the Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act, however, Governor Haslam proceeded with the legislation and yesterday signed the bill into law.
Nissan had issued a longer statement on Friday explaining its dedication to non-discrimination policies.
Interestingly, I wrote Nissan about my disappointment in their role since I am a loyal Nissan owner and I got a response this morning…a very short response mind you, and nothing in regards to their “commitment” to inclusion. The response I got was almost like a “too bad” statement.
“Thank you for contacting Nissan North America, Inc.
We recognize that people have different standards and opinions, and we are sorry that you found this position in particular to be unacceptable. We appreciate your time and concern in contacting us.”
@Brian:
Their role? Are you implying they supported this legislation? Clearly this is not the case. As for the canned response you received, this is standard from just about any mega-corporation. They receive thousands of inquiries each week.
So..they were for it until it was passed and signed into law by the Govenor. Then, they were against it. Ok, got it.