LongView Helps Sponsor the Santa Fe Pride Parade
This year LongView proudly sponsored Santa Fe's 30th annual Pride Parade. On Saturday we gathered with employees and clients and marched from the PERA building next to the state capitol down to the plaza where mayor Alan Weber greeted the exuberant crowd at the bandstand. The Human Rights Alliance, organizers of the event, declared this year's Pride to be the largest in Santa Fe's history.
Santa Fe and New Mexico have long been leaders in promoting equality. Repeal of anti-sodomy laws in 1975 made New Mexico one of the first states in the nation to legalize homosexuality. In 2003, New Mexico became the 14th state to pass a bill guaranteeing equal rights to LGBTQIA+ people. In 2013, New Mexico became the 17th state to recognize same-sex marriage.1
Non-binary expressions of sexuality and gender are a traditional part of many of New Mexico’s indigenous cultures. The Zuni tribe, for example, traditionally recognized a third gender known as Lhamana, or “two-spirit.” In 1886, two-spirit Zuni leader We’wha traveled to Washington, DC, where they met with president Cleveland and other influential politicians and artists. They presented publicly in Washington as a woman but were born male-bodied and took on both traditionally male and female tasks within their community.2
During the post-parade gathering at the plaza, Mayor Alan Webber and city counselors reiterated their support for LGBTQIA+ rights, highlighting a recently passed city resolution to combat bullying which designates city-owned buildings as safe spaces and requiring anti-bullying training for city employees.3
Despite the positive atmosphere at Santa Fe Pride, today’s LGBTQIA+ community faces ongoing challenges. The history of Pride is rooted in struggle, symbolized by the Stonewall riots of 1969, which ignited the modern gay rights movement. Today, amidst a national landscape where over 500 anti-LGBTQIA+ laws were introduced in the 2024 legislative session alone, our support for equality remains crucial.4
Investors can have influence on the companies they own through shareholder engagement. Recent shareholder campaigns have sought greater protections against discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability status, or sexual orientation. These kinds of shareholder campaigns are fairly common, and often ask companies to report on diversity, equity and inclusion statistics, or improve their DEI policies.
Some shareholder engagement campaigns specifically support the LGBTQIA+ community. For example, in the 2024 proxy season, investors filed a shareholder resolution asking International Paper company to report on LGBTQIA+ anti-bias efforts, and asking J.B. Hunt Transport Services to adopt LGBTQIA+ friendly health benefits policy.5 Fund managers can adopt policies that support voting in favor of LGBTQIA+ protections if and when such measures appear on a company ballot, and can engage directly with company management to show their support.6
At LongView, we consider diversity and inclusion a win-win for investors and employees: strong DEI policies have been proven to contribute to the resilience and profitability of organizations as well as to create a safer, more equitable working environment.7
While there has been progress, recent proxy seasons have also witnessed proposals opposing LGBTQIA+ rights. These challenges remind us of the importance of steadfast advocacy for diversity initiatives.8
Our participation in Santa Fe Pride underscores our commitment to fostering a society where diversity is celebrated and every individual is empowered to thrive.
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[1] https://hrasantafe.org/historical-timeline/
[2] https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/wewha#:~:text=We'wha%2C%20a%20Lhamana%20(,knowledge%20of%20the%20Zuni%20people.
[3] https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/santa-fe-city-councils-anti-bullying-resolution-focuses-on-lgbtq-community/article_601cbe2c-26d6-11ef-9321-87b466d1c4c1.html
[4] https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-2024
[5] https://greenamerica.org/shareholder-resolutions-vote
[6] https://www.iccr.org/corporations-improving-lgbt-rights/
[7] https://lpsonline.sas.upenn.edu/features/dei-workplace-why-its-important-company-culture#:~:text=According%20to%20findings%20from%20McKinsey,least%20gender%2Ddiverse%20management%20teams.
[8] https://www.wsj.com/articles/brands-face-growing-pressure-from-activist-shareholders-over-lgbtq-marketing-ea789aa1