Gap Inc. has signed on to the amicus brief that was filed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act, according to an internal Gap Web employee memo.
Gap Inc. Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Wilma Wallace answered a few questions in the memo about why the company has chosen to take this step in support of same-sex marriage.
She states, “DOMA creates a distinction between our lawfully married employees that is inconsistent with our core values – inclusion and diversity. Although we are not a part of the court case.. we are signing on to a supporitng court brief challenging the law because removing barriers to equitable treatment is important to us.”
By signing on to an amicus brief, aka “friend of the court,” a company or body has the opportunity to offer the court a perspective from non-involved parties that could none the less be impacted by a ruling.
“This law runs counter to our company’s heritage and long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion and can complicate our ability to provide equitable benefits to our employees and their families.”
According to the Gap memo – eBay, Google, Levi Strauss, Microsoft, Starbucks and Zynga have also signed the brief.
