Levi Strauss, Lyft, and Yelp are leading a coalition of businesses vowing not to discriminate against employees or customers based on race or sexual orientation.
Open to All, a coalition of more than 1,200 businesses and cities, was formed in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of a Colorado baker who refused to make a custom cake celebrating a same-sex wedding. Although the court’s decision touted the importance of non-discrimination laws, it did not explicitly protect certain minority groups from discrimination.
“Cases like Masterpiece [Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission], involving businesses that refuse to serve customers in violation of state nondiscrimination laws, could still dramatically alter the landscape of nondiscrimination laws in the United States,” Open to All states on its website. “The laws in most states still don’t explicitly protect LGBT people from discrimination—and discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion and disability still happens far too often.”
As part of joining the coalition, businesses are asked to display “Open to All” window cling that advertise them as anti-discriminatory and post the “This Business is Open to All” image on their websites and social media channels.
Levi’s said it plans on displaying the window cling at nearly 200 of its stores and outlets nationwide, according to the Associated Press.
Yelp will add an “Open to All” attribute tab to its website so that businesses may mark themselves as anti-discrimination. Business owners can also choose to leave that space blank, however, or say the establishment is not open to all.
Businesses can join the coalition by signing up at www.opentoall.com/business-pledge.
