Levi's Goes To Bat For Marriage Equality

Levi Strauss, perhaps the strongest corporate supporter of LGBT rights, is dressing mannequins in their store windows nationwide with the White Knot - the symbol of marriage equality. Store employees have been trained to discuss the issue with inquisitive customers.

In Levi’s-owned stores in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, that means more than just marking the passing of Memorial Day, the traditional date to begin wearing white: in 20 stores, the mannequins’ white Levi’s jeans and shirts are adorned with White Knots, a symbol of solidarity with the same-sex marriage movement. The symbol was made more timely by the California Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday to uphold Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state. Developed by Frank Voci, a digital media consultant, as a response to Proposition 8’s passage last November, the White Knot for Equality is a white ribbon tied in a knot.

Last year Levi's was the only corporation to file an amicus brief on behalf of the effort to repeal Proposition 8. They also partnered with the producers of Milk to market the film nationwide and sponsored the premiere at San Francisco's Castro Theatre.

And today, comes this word from the National Center For Lesbian Rights:

The Levi Strauss Foundation today announced that it will make a $25,000 donation to the National Center For Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and $25,000 to The San Francisco LGBT Community Center (“The Center”). The Levi Strauss Foundation is providing this support for efforts to achieve full and equal access to civil and human rights for all. NCLR’s most heartfelt thanks go out to Levis for their support.

While our inclinations may be to get fired up about boycotting companies that do us wrong, it also behooves us to remember to reward the folks that continuously do the right thing.