KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Many of the opponents of same-sex marriage say their opinion stems from a deep moral and religious stance. Supporters disagree — saying their position is simply good business.
Despite the fact that recent polls suggest for the first time a majority of Americans support gay marriage, Pastor Steve Dighton of Lenexa Baptist Church holds on to his beliefs, including that marriage is between a man and a woman.
“Not that we despise or hate homosexuals or lesbians or anything, but we’re trying to promote what the Bible teaches,” said Dighton.
But many corporate leaders say they support same-sex marriage because it’s good business.
Wednesday night, Kansas City’s Human Rights Campaign honored the metro’s Top 12 companies, which, the HRC says, supports workplace equality for their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
“We want our employees to embrace it,” said Marce Baxley, Sprint’s Director of Diversity. ”It’s part of who we are as a country. It represents who our communities are. It represents our customers.”
When it comes to recruiting “top notch” employees and creating an environment for all workers — despite their sexual orientation or gender identity — research shows Sprint, AMC Theaters and Hallmark are among the local companies leading the way.
