Dallas-based AT&T Inc has responded to criticism over its Texas Political Action Committee's recent $75,000 contribution to anti-gay Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott's campaign for governor this November, Lone Star Q reports.
Abbott, who is defending the state's gay marriage ban in court, filed a brief last month stating that defending the ban "increases the likelihood that children will be born into stable environments where they are raised by their mother and their father."
“The PAC supports a variety of candidates for a variety of reasons,” AT&T spokesman Marty Richter said in an email to Lone Star Q, in response to an inquiry about the contributions to Abbott. “The PAC does not comment on reasons for contributions, but publicly discloses contributions consistent with state requirements.
“Diversity and inclusion are part of AT&T's culture and operations, and we're proud to be recognized as a leader in this area,” Richter added. “DiversityInc recently named AT&T No. 1 on its 2014 Top 10 Employers for LGBT Employees. And every year since 2004 we've received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for our fair treatment of our LGBTQ employees, including protection against discrimination, parity of health care benefits for domestic partners and other criteria.”
Earlier this month, Facebook Inc. came under similar fire for a $10,000 contribution to Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes' reelection campaign – the same man who vowed to "spend whatever it takes" to prevent same-sex couples from marrying in his state.
Last October, AT&T launched a new campaign for LGBT History Month called 'Love is Changing History' and pledged to donate up to $100,000 to the Trevor Project.
I guess in their eyes that makes everything right?
