Texas Competes 2023 Open Letter

The undersigned companies are proud Texas employers; supporters of Texas’ unique, diverse culture; and beneficiaries of and contributors to Texas’ resilient economy.

We have long strived to make our workplaces safe and welcoming for everyone we employ. But the fullness of our team members’ lives, and the lives of their families, stretch well beyond the workplace. They live in their communities, where they rent or own homes, shop, go out to eat, take transportation, seek and access healthcare, and participate in community and school activities. They deserve to feel safe, welcome, and treated with dignity in those settings, too.

That’s why we support the inclusion of LGBTQ people in nondiscrimination laws, including policy that would update Texas’ nondiscrimination laws to include LGBTQ people. Such policies simply recognize what we as Americans have long agreed: discrimination is real, and it can hold people back from their full potential to work hard, earn a living, support their families, and participate in and contribute to their communities.

We are concerned to see a resurgence of efforts to exclude transgender youth from full participation in their communities, to criminalize or ban best-practice medical care that is proven to save lives, or to exclude LGBTQ people in a variety of other settings, including accessing healthcare, filling a prescription, or seeking legal representation.

Such legislation would send a message that is at odds with the Texas we know, and with our own efforts to attract and retain the best talent and to compete for business. We will continue to oppose any unnecessary, divisive measures that would damage Texas’ reputation and make our customers, our visitors, and our employees and their families feel unwelcome or unsafe.

With so many layers of urgent issues facing the state, from pandemic recovery to grid stability to public education, infrastructure, and broadband, we urge policymakers to continue to focus their good work on fostering a state that works for everyone and welcomes everyone.