Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble supports marriage equality

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Procter & Gamble, makers of some of the world’s best known brands — including Charmin, Crest, Gillette, Pampers, and Tide — said Tuesday it openly supports same-sex marriage.

The Cincinnati-based consumer products giant says it has embraced its LGBT employees for more than 20 years, and that same-sex marriage has become an important enough issue to its workers that it is taking a public stand, reports The Cincinnati Enquirer.

P&G executives say they want to attract top talent from all backgrounds and part of that strategy is providing a welcoming work environment.

P&G’s declaration comes less than two weeks after the Cincinnati-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit upheld Ohio’s same-sex marriage ban, as well as similar bans in Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.

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Deborah P. Majoras, P&G’s chief legal officer and executive sponsor to the company’s LGBT-ally group said, “We have always supported our employees and fostered a culture of inclusion and respect – this includes the right to marry whomever they choose and to have that union legally recognized.”

“At the heart of it all, P&G is a company heavily dependent on innovation – what’s critical are new insights and new ideas,” said William Gipson, P&G’s chief global diversity officer. “For our company, it’s not a political statement, but a statement of support for our employees.”