Inclusivity is a core belief we celebrate at Target. We stand for equality, a fundamental factor in making our team members and guests feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day. Over the years, we’ve worked with partners like the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network to support legal briefs and other projects that promote diversity and inclusion. In June, we introduced our Pride manifesto, a year-round commitment to creating an inclusive culture and taking pride in who we were all born to be.
Today, we’re proud to announce another important milestone: Target has signed on in support of the Equality Act. Introduced in Congress this year, the bill would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity, and ban discrimination in areas including employment, housing, access to credit, public education and accommodations.
“Target proudly stands with the LGBT community through all that we do,” says Caroline Wanga, Target’s senior director of diversity and inclusion, “from our partnerships with organizations like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), to our volunteer efforts, and even the products we sell. We want to be a champion for an inclusive society by using our influence and resources to support equality in the communities where our team members and guests live and work.”
This year, Target is also deepening its long-standing support of the HRC by becoming a national platinum partner. This weekend, Target will also be the presenting sponsor of the HRC’s 2015 Twin Cities gala dinner.
“Target is helping to lead the fight against discrimination by putting its support behind the Equality Act. Discrimination has no place in the workplace, and Target is demonstrating to all that inclusion is a pillar of any successful business,” says HRC President Chad Griffin. “The time has come for full federal equality, and HRC is proud to include Target as a partner in this fight. Everyone should have a fair chance to earn a living, provide for their families, and live free from fear of discrimination, including Americans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.”
