Target signs on to support marriage equality in 7th Circuit Court appeal

Target announced Tuesday that it has signed an amicus, or friend of the court, brief in support of marriage equality in two cases currently before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The cases, Baskin v. Bogan, out of Indiana, and Wisconsin's Wolf v. Walker, are both on appeal after federal district courts struck down same-sex marriage bans in those states.

Executive Vice President Jodee Kozlak explained the company's position in this statement:

As our leadership team discussed signing on, we took time to consider the bigger questions at hand. This brief is important, as the issues it addresses have significant impact on businesses. But it is more than that and we agreed that now is the right time to more directly share our views on this issue.

It is our belief that everyone should be treated equally under the law, and that includes rights we believe individuals should have related to marriage.

Without getting into the specifics of a court case, this brief evaluates the issues created by states that both prohibit same-sex marriage and also refuse to recognize marriages that were conducted legally in other states. This position is particularly challenging for a large organization that operates nationally, such as Target. At Target, we have long offered comprehensive, competitive benefits to our LGBT team members and their families, often above what is legally required. We continue to do so today because we believe doing so is right for our team and for our business. But current laws — in places like Wisconsin and Indiana that are addressed in this brief – make it difficult to attract and retain talent. These disparate laws also create confusing and complicated benefits challenges across multiple states.

We believe that everyone – all of our team members and our guests – deserve to be treated equally. And at Target we are proud to support the LGBT community.