General Mills opposes marriage amendment

[wellstone dem]

Source: Minneapolis Tribune


“We do not believe the proposed constitutional amendment is in the best interests of our employees or our state economy – and as a Minnesota-based company we oppose it,” Ken Charles, vice president of global diversity and inclusion for General Mills, wrote in a letter to employees and the public. “We value diversity. We value inclusion. We always have … and we always will.”

Charles said company CEO Ken Powell addressed 400 local gay and lesbian professionals Wednesday and announced the company would oppose the amendment, which will be on the November ballot.

“While General Mills doesn’t normally take positions on ballot measures, this is a business issue that impacts our employees,” Charles said. “I am proud to see our company join the ranks of local and national employers speaking out for inclusion.”

“Obviously, there are strongly held views on both sides. We acknowledge those views, including those on religious grounds,” he said. “We respect and defend the right of others to disagree. But we truly value diversity and inclusion – and that makes our choice clear.”




Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/159057195.html

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NOM sent out a letter asking the 50 largest Minnesota Companies to remain neutral. Apparently, that request is not working.

[hrmjustin]

1. NOM is such a sleezy organization! I am glad that General Mills is on the...

...of the angels on this one!

[freshwest]

2. Minnesota was going to discriminate, too? I'm so sick of these reactionaries.

This is good because General Mills is well known and a big employer even in rural areas, if I'm not mistaken.

[xxqqqzme]

5. Their secuirty blanket is

unraveling. They are desperately trying to gather all the threads so it can be put back together. It will never be the same. Too many people have already moved on. Too many people are seeing it as a civil right.

[freshwest]

14. And those who don't want to support human dignity, need to know that they're next on the list.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963
US black civil rights leader & clergyman (1929 - 1968)

[awoke_in_2003]

3. K&R...

I will remember this when I go to the grocery store

[nightscanner59]

4. I'll go buy my box of Lucky Charms right now!

I'm so proud of them!

[GoneOffShore]

6. Good for the General! Don't buy his products too often

But will now seek them out.

[closeupready]

7. Go, General Mills!

K&R

[siligut]

8. Where does NOM get off telling companies what to do?

The audacity of the bigots knows no bounds. I hope more independent thinking companies will follow GM's lead.

[MADem]

9. I hate lousy and ambiguous headlines!

I would add the word "BAN" in there somewhere--it reads, to uninformed readers, like General Mills opposes marriage....when ya get down into the context, it's possible to figure it out, but a skimmer could get the wrong idea!

General Mills opposes marriage amendment BAN makes the situation a bit more clear!

In any event, good for General Mills--they are the diametric opposite of some of the General Nuisances and General Assholes on the other side of this debate.

[bluesbassman]

12. Agree. It's too bad too because this is an important issue.

Unfortunately it's in LBN so the article title has to be verbatim. However, the entire article was poorly written IMO.

Good for General Mills in taking this position. Funny how NOM's strategy is to keep the major businesses from taking a position. That reeks of fear.

[nilram]

15. Yeah, I was confused too, but it's from a Minneapolis paper

so the context would be totally clear to their readers.

[geardaddy]

17. It is clear in the context of Minnesotans

There's a marriage amendment coming up to, as you said, ban gay marriage.

I agree, it would be clearer if they talked about the amendment banning gay marriage.

[MADem]

22. Oh sure! Locals get it; it's us outta towners that are left picking our noses and

screwing up our faces!!

It's a national issue, though, so I wish these headline writers would write for all of us from Maine to California! Of course, if I got everything I wanted, I'd be driving a new car and be forty years younger!

[geardaddy]

23. I hear ya.

The good thing is a lot of business leaders are coming out against the amendment.

[MADem]

25. I think that's just wonderful! It needs crushing, decisively, too. nt

[GodlessBiker]

10. Bravo!

[azurnoir]

11. Good for GM

supposedly this measure will be on the ballot here in November, hopefully it will not pass

[shcrane71]

13. Yay for General Mills! Are they hiring? nt

[yardwork]

16. It makes me mad that not a single major North Carolina-based company bothered to do this.

Bank of America remained silent on the subject, as did Lowe's and other major corporations based in North Carolina. The bigoted amendment passed in North Carolina. I'm glad to see General Mills stepping up for their home state, and I hope that others do as well.

[geardaddy]

18. I love this comment...

sully
Jun 14, 12
12:58 pm Some bigoted people may view this as a cereal killer.

[Gemini Cat]

19. Good for them! nt

[wellstone dem]

20. And it's not just the big businesses in Minnesota doing this

Take a look at the front page of the website of this Central Minnesota business where I'm now buying my coffee.

http://www.muggsysbeans.com/

"Apparently, the National Organization for Marriage is asking businesses to "stay neutral" in regards to the MN Marriage Amendment. So let us go on record here, in full defiance of the hateful people involved in NOM, that Muggsy's Beans fully supports gay marriage and looks forward to defeating this horrible piece of legislation."

[geardaddy]

24. Awesome.

Way to go Muggsy's Beans!

[iandhr]

21. Well Done General Mills

[Downwinder]

26. If Corporations are persons, what sex are they?

Must mergers be heterosexual?

[wellstone dem]

27. More on this from the General Mills blog

http://blog.generalmills.com/2012/06/there-is-something-we-need-to-discuss-%E2%80%A6/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+generalmillsblog+%28A+Taste+of+General+Mills%29

[fishwax]

28. Good news!