There is a disparity in the United States today between federal non-discrimination laws and many private businesses and corporations as well as many state and local jurisdications that are a step ahead in the area of non-discrimination law as it applies to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Corporate America and many state and local governments in the United States are ahead of the curve in most situations regarding inclusion of sexual orientation in their employment non-discrimnation policies; however, due to influences of certain religious and conservative entities, what is becoming normal business practices for many corporations and local governments is being deterred from becoming law on the federal level.
Businesses have pushed ahead of the current federal laws regarding non-discrimination. They have increased their protected classes to not only protect those by law but also to include gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees. This is clear as, “Last week’s announcement by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. that it had extended its antidiscrimination policy to include gay and lesbian employees underscored a new reality: The workplace is becoming gay-friendly.” (Murray, 2003) This new found friendliness creates a better and more positive workplace toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees. It is underscored particularly by the fact that Wal-mart has joined the fold of large corporations extending protections to their gay and lesbians employees.
Wal-mart is the largest retailer in the country and has a great deal of financial and political clout. It is also an icon in many rural and more blue-collar communties. For Wal-mart to be able to extend protections for gay and lesbian employees successfully without an ex ...