Nordstrom backs gay marriage in memo to employees

Source: Los Angeles Times

Luxury retailer Nordstrom Inc. has jumped into the controversial gay marriage debate by openly supporting the rights of gay and lesbians to marry.

The Seattle retailer joins other prominent Washington corporations such as Starbucks Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. in favor of approving Referendum 74 to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.

Company president Blake Nordstrom sent a companywide memo -- co-signed by brothers Erik and Pete, also executives at the retailer -- laying out the retailer's "philosophical approach" to business, which includes a workplace where "every employee is welcomed and respected."

... "We feel the next step in this journey is to now support freedom to marry, also called marriage equality," Nordstrom wrote in the memo. "We gave this thoughtful consideration and felt the time was right to come out in support of this civil rights issue.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-nordstrom-gay-marriage-20121015,0,3925377.story