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We believe in equality for all. Here’s why and how we’re supporting marriage equality in Australia.
Here at Salesforce, equality is one of our core values. From the very top of this company and from the bottom up, we passionately believe in equal rights for all. We oppose any policies or laws that discriminate, as well as those that create an environment of discrimination – that permit a sense that any one person is entitled to less than another based on their gender, sexuality or race.
We have long been a vocal supporter of marriage equality around the world. In the US, we challenged the constitutionality of Proposition 8, which sought to ban same-sex marriage, and of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). We took this action to strongly oppose legislation that allowed for discrimination against our LGBTIQ+ Ohana.
Last year, we partnered with Australian Marriage Equality to pledge our support and, more recently, we have been working with the Yes campaign since the announcement of the postal plebiscite. We show our support for our LGBTIQ+ employees and allies through our Outforce group – made up of Salesforce employees and allies who work and support equality for all.
Below are just some of the things we’ve been doing here in Salesforce Australia since the postal vote was launched.
In Sydney and Melbourne on Monday 18 September, we hosted a campaign kick-off breakfast, with about 150 Salesforce staff in attendance. A panel discussion followed the breakfast, with AME’s NSW Field Director Georgia Kriz and Salesforce Account Executives Andrew Anderson and Ivy Lam, discussing the importance of equality and of the campaign, as well as providing details of how and when Salesforce staff can get involved.
Our main contribution to the campaign has been time and expertise.
We know that in the Irish referendum on marriage equality, which was a compulsory postal vote, around 60% of votes were returned. We also know that voters who do not get around to returning their votes within 48 hours of receiving them are highly unlikely to return them at all. This means that, despite the majority of Australians supporting marriage equality, the result will come down to how many people return their voting form.
So, in partnership with the Yes campaign, we hosted a ‘call for equality’ event – where our passionate employees donated their time and considerable skills into phoning probable yes voters around the country (who’d been identified by the Yes campaign) to speak with them about the importance of returning their votes.
We also have signs promoting our support around the office, and our screens are displaying the Salesforce #equalityforall messaging. This is not a compulsory vote, so it is more important than ever that everyone who stands for equality, as we do, submits their response.
As the leader of our business here in Asia Pacific I am proud to say Salesforce Australia will continue to oppose laws and policies that seek to discriminate, and to support those that promote and protect equal rights, including marriage equality – for all of our Ohana. We look forward to a day when this discussion no longer needs to be had.
Find out more about Outforce, or visit the Yes campaign’s site to pledge your support for marriage equality and get your vote in.
We encourage anyone who has been adversely affected by the rhetoric surrounding this survey to ask for help – whether that’s from your colleagues and friends, or via organisations like QLife, BeyondBlue.
