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As Amazon executives recently toured finalist locations to help select what they’ve dubbed HQ2, they asked public officials about what sort of “compatible cultural and community environment” — the wording from the company’s search parameters — each city offers, adding to speculation about whether Amazon will choose a liberal stronghold....
Amazon also declined to answer questions about the meetings, and it is not known how much a region’s stance on gay rights will factor into its decision. The company’s search for a region of “compatible cultural” values is one of many issues it has said it’s considering as it chooses the new headquarters.
But gay rights has emerged as a focus for the company’s founder and chief executive, Jeffrey P. Bezos. (Bezos owns The Washington Post).
Amazon employees pushing for progay location to be selected:
“As Amazon was starting to dig into the 20 communities in the running for its second headquarters, some of the retailer’s employees were pushing internally for the company to place HQ2 in an LGBT-friendly city.
In late February, Brian Huseman, a vice president of public policy at the company, responded to those concerns in an email to members of glamazon — an employee mentorship and advocacy group on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues — reassuring them that the company would keep their interests in mind when selecting HQ2.”
“I am personally very proud of our long-standing track record of supporting our LGBT employees and advancing legal protections for LGBT people,” Huseman wrote. “And we’ll continue to join the business community in efforts to oppose laws that discriminate or encourage discrimination, no matter where HQ2 lands.”
That’s why, even as a gay guy myself, I’m so over the HRC.
Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta, etc are very gay friendly. In fact, they are the centers of places of sanctuary or peace for millions of gays in states that are less gay friendly. So for them to boycott gay friendly cities because of where they are located is counter productive to helping gay rights.
They should be doing more encourage more gay friendly businesses In Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta because we can make a bigger difference for homosexuals on entire regions.
I honestly don't think Amazon would regard Raleigh-Durham as LGBT unfriendly by any means. I maintain that if we don't get Amazon, it's likely due to one of these two factors:
1) Inability to handle snow and ice removal speedily and satisfactorily to keep operating during such conditions, and/or
2) Insufficient infrastructure in place to handle transportation needs (specifically lack of mass transit options and a road system already incapable of keeping traffic traffic moving smoothly during morning and afternoon rush hour on I-40, I-540 and many other major routes).
If we do get Amazon, these areas are vitally important for improvement to keep HQ2 here. The challenge will be to get the Republican-led General Assembly on board to take action, and that's where I have serious doubts.
I honestly don't think Amazon would regard Raleigh-Durham as LGBT unfriendly by any means. I maintain that if we don't get Amazon, it's likely due to one of these two factors:
1) Inability to handle snow and ice removal speedily and satisfactorily to keep operating during such conditions, and/or
2) Insufficient infrastructure in place to handle transportation needs (specifically lack of mass transit options and a road system already incapable of keeping traffic traffic moving smoothly during morning and afternoon rush hour on I-40, I-540 and many other major routes).
If we do get Amazon, these areas are vitally important for improvement to keep HQ2 here. The challenge will be to get the Republican-led General Assembly on board to take action, and that's where I have serious doubts.
One of the biggest problems with the GOP dominated legislature is that it's not big city friendly, which leads to less money and attention for infrastructure that cities in NC need to grow and attract industry. Instead of trying to bring good jobs to NC, the NCGOP focuses on dumb social issues and other trivial things. So not being LGBT friendly is just one of a whole host of issues (that affect cities) that the Republicans in NC are not very sympathetic towards
Location: River's Edge Inn, Todd NC, and Lorgues France
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Originally Posted by ozmoe571
I honestly don't think Amazon would regard Raleigh-Durham as LGBT unfriendly by any means. I maintain that if we don't get Amazon, it's likely due to one of these two factors:
1) Inability to handle snow and ice removal speedily and satisfactorily to keep operating during such conditions, and/or
2) Insufficient infrastructure in place to handle transportation needs (specifically lack of mass transit options and a road system already incapable of keeping traffic traffic moving smoothly during morning and afternoon rush hour on I-40, I-540 and many other major routes).
I think the traffic here is much better than in the potential Amazon sites near DC and Boston.
I sincerely hope that something, anything, thwarts Amazon's bid to come to the Raleigh/RTP area. We simply cannot absorb that much more growth and have any remaining quality of life.
I don't think the issue is whether or not Raleigh is gay friendly. The problem is there are other desirable cities that are culturally more gay friendly than Raleigh. North Carolina is still generally conservative on the issue. Acceptance of the LGBT community in North Carolina is not the same as it is in a liberal city such as Boston.
I was surprised anyone in NC was chosen in the first place. That being said, Raleigh qualitatively does maintain similar characteristics of a more progressive region of the country. But at the end of the day, I still do not think NC has strong enough of a talent pool.
I wonder if Amazon is using this as a tactic to get the finalist locations to increase their bids for what they are willing to pay for Amazon to locate HQ2 in their jurisdictions rather than Jeff Benzos being so concerned with a socially just employment culture in North Carolina.
"Since you are less progressive than Boston, in order to level the playing field, we're going to need X more million dollars to perk our interests in relocating here."
In other words, Jeff Benzos and Amazon want what's best for Jeff Benzos and Amazon.
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