IBM Cancels Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony With Jindal Over Anti-Gay Executive Order

Via the New Orleans Fox affiliate:

IBM has cancelled Monday's ribbon-cutting for its new National Service Center in Baton Rouge because of Governor Bobby Jindal's executive order. The event on June 22 had been reserved for months, according to several city leaders, including Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District.The technology giant IBM voiced "strong opposition" to Louisiana's so-called religious freedom legislation as far back as mid-April.

In a letter to the governor, IBM executives said the legislation cut at the very heart of what their company stands for, equal rights and opportunity for everyone, discrimination for no one. The letter implored Jindal not to support any agenda that protected discrimination against LGBT people. Other companies followed suit, triggering a number of similar statements, but IBM, the major player local and state leaders fought so desperately to bring to Baton Rouge, was not amused by Jindal's handling of any of the matter or his response by letter to them.

Good for Big Blue.

Bill Donohue Has The IBM Sadz

"No one knew how anti-Christian IBM had become until it unleashed its fury against a religious-liberty bill in Louisiana. Its governor, Bobby Jindal, is a practicing Catholic, and he plans to sign a law that protects religious liberty from its enemies. Those enemies now include IBM.  If IBM wants to relocate from Louisiana, it should consider Cuba. But it needs to move fast: Cuba is showing signs of renewed respect for religious liberty, and if conditions improve, the capitalist elites may find themselves sitting to the left of the communists." - Bill Donohue, writing for the Catholic League.

IBM To Gov. Bobby Jindal: Stop RFRA

Big Blue has again waded into the RFRA battle, this time with a letter to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal:

IBM has made significant investments in Louisiana including most recently a technology services delivery center in Baton Rouge, creating new jobs for Louisiana workers. We located the center in Baton Rouge because we believe Louisiana has great talent and would continue to be a rich source of such talent. However a bill that legally protects discrimination based on same-sex marriage status will create a hostile environment for our current and prospective employees, and is antithetical to our company’s values. IBM will find it much harder to attract talent to Louisiana if this bill is passed and enacted into law. Our perspective is grounded in IBM's 104-year history and our deep legacy of diversity and inclusion - a legacy to which we remain strongly committed today. IBM is opposed to discrimination against anyone on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected categories. We urge you to work with the Legislature to ensure this legislation is not discriminatory.

Early this month IBM denounced the RFRA bills in Arkansas and Indiana. (Tipped by JMG reader Str8Grandmother)

IBM Joins Gay Borg, Denounces RFRA