News gathering company Thomson Reuters
has said it opposes a proposed amendment to ban gay marriage in
Minnesota.
In an email to employees on Friday, the
company said: “As we've heard from employees, recruiters and
customers, one thing has been very clear: we're a better place when
we have a rich variety of perspectives, talents, backgrounds,
lifestyles and experiences in our workplace, and within the broader
community from which we recruit. We believe that building a culture
that thrives on diversity and inclusion and provides equal
opportunities to everyone is a critical factor in our ability to
serve our customers and be successful. … We believe the Minnesota
Marriage Amendment, if passed, would limit our ability to recruit and
retain top talent. For this reason, we do not believe that the
Amendment would be good for Thomson Reuters or the business community
in the state.”
Spokesman John Shaughnessy told the AP
that Thomson Reuters has almost 8,000 employees in Minnesota and
60,000 around the world.
Minnesotans
United for All Families, the group working to defeat the measure
in November, said that more than 100 Minnesota-based businesses
oppose the amendment.
“Today's historic announcement by
Thomson Reuters shows that, more and more, companies in Minnesota are
standing up and saying that this hurtful amendment is not in the best
interests of businesses, families or the state of Minnesota,” the
group said in a statement.
(Related: Minnesota
gay marriage ban supporters protest General Mills.)