One of the first American states to reinforce rights for the LGBT community in the employment sector was Oregon, and Nike has strengthened this movement by adding their personal endorsement.
In late 2013, Nike reinforced their beliefs in an in-site news article, listing the various endeavours they have undertaken to support same-sex marriages. This was before the practise was even legal in all 50 states in June 2015. Between 2003 and 2013, the company was awarded 100% scoring from the Human Rights Campaign, highlighting their passion towards the issue that was so overlooked at the time.
Finding work as an LGBT person can be difficult, but support from huge companies such as Nike can make some monumental shifts in mainstream opinions towards such a marginalised group. The company described themselves as a ‘national business trailblazer’ in terms of supporting Oregon’s anti-discrimination employment legislation, endorsing cases that appeared in the US Supreme Court.
Further to this support, Nike also assisted in building business backing for the Freedom to Marry and Religious Protection Initiative in early 2013 – an Oregonian initiative targeted towards squashing any traces of discrimination which may still remain in the workforce. The Nike PAC (Political Action Committee) has also been set up to actively encourage donations towards the cause from surrounding partnerships, thus spreading non-discrimination further in the business field.
Fast-forward to 2020 and the company is still making progress in terms of diversity in leaps and bounds. According to cnbc.com, 49.5% of employees were female thus showing a true reflection of inclusivity in regards to gender. Although only 29% were people of colour, their pledge by 2025 is for that statistic to reach 35% – a modest but significant increase.