Apple, Facebook, Nike Sign Brief in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage

Many of the country’s most prominent businesses filed a brief last week in favor of same-sex marriage, arguing to the U.S. Supreme Court that California’s Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage via popular vote, is unconstitutional and is detrimental to businesses in the state. 

The case being argued is Hollingsworth v. Perry, and the companies that signed the brief include: Apple, Alcoa, Facebook, eBay, Goldman Sachs, Google, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss, McGraw-Hill, Microsoft, Nike, Starbucks, Twitter, Viacom, and the Walt Disney Company.

They argued that “recognizing the rights of same-sex couples to marry is more than a constitutional issue” and is a “business imperative.”

“By singling out a group for less favorable treatment, Proposition 8 impedes businesses from achieving the market’s ideal of efficient operations–particularly in recruiting, hiring, and retaining talented people who are in the best position to operate at their highest capacity,” the companies argued. 

They also noted that “increased wedding celebrations can mean additional revenue for many businesses–such as businesses involved directly in wedding celebrations, businesses that produce goods often given as gifts to newlyweds, and businesses that benefit from increased tourism from guests who travel to the wedding.”