Minnesota-based retailer Target on
Tuesday announced that it has signed on to an amicus brief
in support of plaintiffs challenging gay marriage bans in Wisconsin
and Indiana.
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in
Chicago will hear oral arguments in Baskin v. Bogan (Indiana)
and Wolf v. Walker (Wisconsin) later this month.
“It is our belief that everyone
should be treated equally under the law, and that includes rights we
believe individuals should have related to marriage,” said Jodee
Kozlak, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at
Target.
“[T]he current laws – in places
like Wisconsin and Indiana that are addressed in this brief – make
it difficult to attract and retain talent. These disparate laws also
create confusing and complicated benefits challenges across multiple
states,” she
added.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocated,
applauded the move.
“Today Target joins a growing chorus
of Americans and businesses that know these bans on marriage equality
serve no purpose other than to harm families,” Griffin
said in a blog post. “Discrimination should have no place in
our society, much less our laws. We are grateful to Target for
speaking out and standing up for the rights of not just its LGBT
employees, but Americans from across the country who deserve to be
treated with fairness and equality under the law.”
After gay rights groups targeted Target
over its $150,000 donation to MN Forward, a political action group
that backed marriage equality foe Tom Emmer's gubernatorial bid, the
retailer kept out of the 2012 marriage debate in its home state of
Minnesota.