$4 billion corporation to boycott Indiana over anti-gay ‘religious freedom’ law
The founder and CEO of a $4 billion software corporation has announced it will “dramatically reduce” investment in the state of Indiana after it passed a controversial bill that allows organisations to discriminate based on religious objection.
Governor Mike Pence signed the bill into law this week.
The bill allows organisations, including businesses and churches, to refuse service to anyone on religious grounds, and is seen as a way for businesses to refuse service to LGBT clients. Nineteen other states have similar laws, and many others have proposals making their way through the legislature.
Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s 50-year old CEO, founder, and chairman responded on Twitter, saying the £2.6 billion corporation would be “forced to dramatically reduce our investment in IN based on our employee’s & customer’s outrage over the Religious Freedom Bill.”
He went on to say: “We are cancelling all programs that require our customers/employees to travel to Indiana to face discrimination.”
Continuing, he urged other tech companies to follow suit, saying: “Attention Tech CEOs/Industry: pay attn to what is happening in IN & how it will impact your employees & customers.”
Governor Pence denies that the bill is intended to discriminate, Writing in the Indy Star, he said: “This bill is not about discrimination… and if I thought it legalized discrimination I would have vetoed it.”
Singer Miley Cyrus added a photo of the Governor to Instagram with the message: “You’re an a-hole”, and encouraged others to do the same.
