The controversy over Indiana’s new anti-gay law continues to grow. Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, said that his company was canceling all its programs in Indiana in response to Gov. Mike Pence (R) signing a new law that could allow businesses to discriminate against same-sex customers based on religious objections.
Today we are canceling all programs that require our customers/employees to travel to Indiana to face discrimination. http://t.co/SvTwyCHxvE
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) March 26, 2015
Attention Tech CEOs/Industry: pay attn to what is happening in IN & how it will impact your employees & customers. http://t.co/SvTwyCZ8nc
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) March 26, 2015
Calling other tech CEOs and tech industry leaders to please take a stand. http://t.co/Ghd7TcxfZf
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) March 26, 2015
Pence signed the legislation on Thursday. A number of businesses warned that there could be blowback to the governor signing the legislation. Gen Con, a major table top gaming convention, threatened to pull its convention out but its contract isn’t up until 2020. Actor/activist George Takei, NBA star Jason Collins, and the Eli Lilly company, one of the state’s largest employers, have all spoken out against the law.
Salesforce is a cloud computing company which has headquarters in San Francisco. It acquired ExactTarget, an Indianapolis-based software company for $2.5 billion last year.
Salesforce Senior Director for Corporate Communications Gina Sheilbley told TPM it had no additional comments beyond what Benioff’s tweets.
This post was updated.
And it begins!
I was never a huge fan of Benioff. I’m going to have to re-think that now. Bravo.
Salesforce is cancelling?! That’s interesting. A company whose end users are mostly dyed in the wool, hardcore conservatives is willing to go out on this limb and do what’s right. Good on them!
Yes! Yes! Yes! Money talks.
Pence probably had the wrong idea of what ‘blowback’ meant. He may know now.