13 Businesses That Support Marriage Equality in America

Impact

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT rights organization, announced the formation of the Business Coalition for DOMA Repeal, made up of Fortune 500 companies that support ending the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — a law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman, effectively discriminating against same-sex married couples when it comes to more than 1.100 federal rights and benefits (including filing taxes jointly, taking unpaid leave to care for a sick spouse, and Social Security survivor benefits).

These are the 13 awesome companies that so far support marriage equality in America:

1. Marriot International: 

Founded by J. Willard Marriott in 1927, the company has today more than 3,700 properties in over 74 countries and territories around the world.

2. A|X Armani Exchange:

Launched in 1991, A|X retails fashion and lifestyle products inspired by "street-chic culture and dance music."

3. Aetna Inc:

A managed health care company, Aetna provides a range of traditional and consumer directed health care insurance products and related services.

4. Biogen Idec:

A biotechnology company specializing in drugs for neurological disorders, formed in 2003 by the merger of Biogen Inc. and IDEC Pharmaceuticals. 

5. Bristol-Myers Squibb:

BMS is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in New York City and formed in 1989 by the merger of Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation. 

6. Diageo North America:

Diageo is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine. Some of its brands include Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Guinness, José Cuervo, Crown Royal, and Hennessy.

7. eBay Inc:

The giant internet consumer-to-consumer and online auction and shopping website was founded in 1995, and it's now a multi-billion dollar business with operations localized in over 30 countries.

8. Electronic Arts:

A developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games, Electronic Arts was founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins. In July 2011, EA announced that it had acquired PopCap Games, the company behind hits such as Plants vs. Zombies and Bejeweled.

9. Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC: 

A hotel and restaurant company founded in 1981 by William (Bill) Kimpton, it is the largest chain of boutique hotels in the United States (with headquarters in San Francisco, California). 

10. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company: 

Founded in 1851, Mass Mutual is one of the largest life insurance companies globally and is currently ranked 93rd in the Fortune 500 list. The Company has revenues of about $25 Billion with Assets under Management at $448 Billion.

11. Replacements, Ltd:

Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, Replacements, Ltd is the world's largest retailer of china, crystal and silverware. The company, which began in 1981, had an inventory in 2011 of 14 million items from more than 340,000 patterns, with annual sales of $80 million to 10 million customers.

12. Sun Life Financial U.S:

An international financial services company with over $494 billion in assets under management, Sun Life is based in Toronto, Canada, and ranks number 236 on the Forbes Global 2000 list for 2010 as well as on the Fortune 500 list.

13. Thomson Reuters:

A multinational media and financial-data firm company based in New York City, it was created by the Thomson Corporation's purchase of Reuters Group on 17 April 2008.

Companies interested in joining the coalition can sign-up here