Gov. Kate Brown says Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act offends her; Nike executive says it’s ‘bad for business.’
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
Two of Oregon’s most influential voices — the governor and Nike — have joined the chorus of politicians and businesses speaking out against the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Gov. Kate Brown, who is the country’s first openly bisexual governor, issued the following statement:
“Indiana’s new law offends me. No individual, regardless of where they live or whom they love, should suffer discrimination. I urge state leaders in Indiana to take swift action to prohibit discrimination and reverse the damaging impact of this law. Oregonians continually demonstrate a strong belief in fairness and equal treatment under the law. As recently as 2013, Oregon voters have defeated proposals similar to Indiana’s law, underscoring our shared values and rejecting discrimination. I encourage Oregonians to join me in expressing their concerns about this erosion of individual rights in Indiana and anywhere it may occur.”
Nike’s Mark Parker issued a statement:
“Nike proudly stands for inclusion for all. We believe laws should treat people equally and prevent discrimination. Nike has led efforts alongside other businesses to defeat discriminatory laws in Oregon and opposes the new law in Indiana which is bad for our employees, bad for our consumers, bad for business and bad for society as a whole. We hope Indiana will quickly resolve this.”
The sports apparel giant has a history of supporting LGBT causes, OregonLive.com reports.
Nike is among several large companies that asked the Supreme Court to support marriage equality in 2013. Nike has offered its campus in the past to serve as host for a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Sports Summit, which aims to shift cultural attitudes in the world of sport.
Nike also has several groups, called “networks” that promote diversity. Portland’s Q Center once awarded Nike’s LGBT & Friends Network the “Corporate Excellence” award. The Human Rights Campaign also has lauded the company for its approach to equality, giving the company a perfect 100 percent score on HRC’s 2015 Corporate Equality Index.
