200 Tennessee businesses including Jack Daniel’s take a stand against anti-LGBT discrimination
200 Tennessee businesses, including world-famous whisky company Jack Daniel’s, have pledged to fight anti-LGBT discrimination.
According to The Tennessean, the coalition of businesses made the declaration following the widespread backlash to North Carolina’s anti-LGBT HB2 bill, which cost the state billions in lost tourism revenue after a number of high-profile sports and music events were cancelled in protest.
A similar bill was put forward in Tennessee earlier this year, but failed to pass.
The pledge has been described as a “warning shot” to legislators by The Tennessean, to dissuade them from backing any future discriminatory laws.
Country Music Television president Brian Philips, who is part of the “Tennessee Thrives” coalition of businesses, said the group was aiming to stop a “message of exclusion” being sent out by the state.
“When everything is going so well, when there is so much opportunity and potential for prosperity, why would we throw a wrench into the works by sending out a message of exclusion?” he said.
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