Austin, TX – IBM (NYSE: IBM) today issued the following statement:

“IBM commends the Texas legislature for ending the Special Session without sending any of the discriminatory bathroom bills to the Governor for his signature.

We applaud House Speaker Joe Straus and House State Affairs Committee Chairman Byron Cook for their leadership. Together, they stood up for the principles of non-discrimination and inclusiveness supported by the countless businesses and community members who urged them to stop this discriminatory legislation. We also thank the Members of the Texas House and Senate who resisted pressure to advance these bills.

IBM was pleased to join with the Texas Association of Business and its Keep Texas Open for Business Coalition, as well as many other businesses in Texas and nationally, to oppose the bathroom bills. Together, we stood up for the families, friends and employees who would have been affected should any of these bills have become law.

IBM has had a presence in Texas since the 1960s, and we are proud that the state is now home to more than 10,000 IBMers, the second-largest IBM workforce in the country. Our Texas operations have played a critical role in many groundbreaking IBM innovations over the years, and we look forward to continued investment and growth in the Lone Star State. Moving forward, we ask the state’s elected officials to focus on ways to support the economy, job creation, and all the communities they represent.

For more than a century, IBM has been a progressive leader in diversity, advocacy and innovation. We will continue our work driving innovation in Texas, just as we will continue to honor our commitments to diversity and inclusion by standing up for equal rights for all.”

Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, Chief Diversity Officer, IBM

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Media Contact:
Ashley Bright
brighta@us.ibm.com

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