Forbes: Gill Foundation

Forbes released its 11th annual Best States for Business list this week, featuring new criteria for the 2016 rankings around LGBT nondiscrimination policies.

For the first time, Forbes factored in a measure of laws that protect people from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The magazine used ratings provided by the Movement Advancement Project - a Gill Foundation grantee organization - to assess each state.

From the article…

"LGBT policies are affecting the bottom line in places like North Carolina, which passed the controversial HB2 or 'Bathroom Bill' this year requiring citizens to use the public facility that corresponds with their biological gender. The measure has already cost the state an estimated $630 million in economic activity. The NBA, ACC and NCAA pulled sporting events from the state and Deutsche Bank and PayPal halted expansions. 'Some clients are actively staying away from North Carolina because of [HB2],' says Jeff Lessard, who works with clients on their occupancy and location strategies at Cushman & Wakefield.

Despite the backlash from HB2, North Carolina ranked second for the second straight year among the Best States for Business. The 'hostile' rating didn’t alter the state’s overall rank, but it did knock down its regulatory category ranking three spots to No. 7.”

View the list and read the full article at Forbes.com.