IBM Stands with the LGBT+ Community. It's Time for the Equality Act.

The pandemic has refocused our individual values -- rightfully placing people at the center. At IBM, we take pride in our people and the historic contributions they have made to our business and to society. We believe in creating equal and open environments that allow talented people and diverse ideas to flourish. We believe that everyone is entitled to equal treatment under the law. And we believe that equality should not be conditioned or infringed on because of who you are or who you love.

Equality in American life took an important step forward today with passage of the Equality Act by the U.S. House of Representatives. This important legislation would amend existing civil rights law to provide consistent and explicit protections for LGBT+ people across key areas, including employment, education, housing, public services and more.

From our company's earliest days, IBM has been a leader in the push for fairness, equality and inclusion. As early as 1953, nearly a decade before the Civil Rights Act was signed into law, our non-discrimination policy affirmed the prioritization of talent and skills in our hiring and employment practices. In 1984 we added sexual orientation to our employee nondiscrimination policy. Over the past seven years, we have fought against discriminatory "bathroom bills" in a number of states. We have championed the 2020 pro-equality law in Virginia and marriage equality provisions around the world. All of this was done on behalf of our employees, their families and the communities that we are proud to call home.

IBM has been a staunch supporter of the Equality Act and it has been our privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder with the LGBT community to help bring it to this point. The House has done its important work. Now the urgency to act falls to the Senate. Our advocacy will continue, and IBM will continue working with our partners to see this bill successfully complete its journey through Congress. We will not waiver in our focus or advocacy until it bears the president's signature. And that simply must happen. The time has come. Everyone in this great country deserves to be empowered to be exactly who they are, with pride, and free from fear.

Dario Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research