The American Family Association, identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, sent an Action Alert to supporters over the weekend asking them to thank ExxonMobil for voting “against special rights for gays.”
For the 14th year, ExxonMobil shareholders voted against adding LGBT protections to the company’s nondiscrimination policy at their meeting in Dallas on May 29.
The AFA’s email warned supporters, “Had the resolution passed, the company would have been forced to begin promoting and providing ‘acceptance’ training of homosexuality to all employees, even if they had religious objections.”
What the resolution would have done is prompted the board to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the company’s EEO policy. No training would have necessarily been involved unless supervisors needed training on how to not fire people because of who they are rather than how they perform their jobs. And there’s no indication the board would have added those protections even if shareholders had passed the measure.
“The Board of Directors strongly recommended shareholders vote ‘Against’ the proposal,” the email said.
Actually, nothing distinguished the board’s recommendation to vote against this resolution compared to the other seven resolutions. It equally opposed resolutions to require a majority vote of shareholders to appoint board members or an independent board chair. Depending upon reading, the recommendations were all worded “strongly.”
The email continues, “AFA continues to encourage all companies to stay neutral in the culture war over special rights for those who choose to engage in unnatural sexual behavior.”
Here’s how the AFA is asking its members to encourage ExxonMobil to remain neutral in what they call a culture war:
Dear ExxonMobil and Chairman Tillerson,
I applaud the company’s decision for rejecting the shareholder resolution that would have granted special rights to employees based on their personal behavior choices.
Thank you and your shareholders for recognizing the company’s current non-discrimination policies treat all employees fairly and equally, without the need to adopt “special” rules for a select few.
I encourage ExxonMobil to continue to remain neutral on this issue.
“Join us in thanking ExxonMobil for making the right decision!” the email concludes.
So I did.
However, the form allows you to alter the text and enter your own headline.
So I did.
You can, too, by going here.