Best Buy Faces Pressure Over LGBTQ Donations in Email Exchange with Conservative Think Tank

Best Buy Faces Pressure Over LGBTQ Donations

Best Buy is under scrutiny after a conservative think tank, the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), pressured the company to screen donations from its employee resource groups going to LGBTQ causes. The NCPPR, a shareholder in Best Buy, demanded that the company end its partnerships with and contributions to several LGBTQ nonprofits and initiatives.

Conservative Think Tank's Demands

The NCPPR's demands, outlined in a shareholder proposal sent to Best Buy on Dec. 11, 2021, included a request for a report analyzing how the company's partnerships with LGBTQ nonprofits benefit its business. The proposal highlighted the NCPPR's concerns about Best Buy's support for organizations promoting gender transition surgeries on minors and advocating gender theory to minors.

In an email dated Jan. 17, 2022, the NCPPR stated that it would withdraw its proposal if Best Buy ceased its partnerships with and contributions to eight LGBTQ nonprofits and initiatives, excluding the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) due to its political clout.

Dialogue with Best Buy

The dialogue between Best Buy and the NCPPR, revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, showed the company's response to the demands. Best Buy informed the NCPPR that it allows its employee resource groups some discretion to support organizations of their choosing but assured that any contributions would be screened to ensure they do not advocate or support causes deemed concerning by the NCPPR.

Best Buy's attorney, Marina Rizzo, informed the NCPPR that the company had not donated to some of the mentioned LGBTQ causes in several years and would submit a letter to the SEC requesting that the regulator not take any action against the company for omitting the NCPPR's proposal from shareholder materials.

Resolution and Outcome

On March 22, 2022, the NCPPR withdrew its shareholder proposal, signaling a resolution to the matter. Furthermore, Best Buy withdrew its "no action" request from the SEC, and the agency confirmed that the NCPPR's shareholder proposal regarding LGBTQ donations will not be presented at Best Buy's annual shareholder meeting in June.

Conservative Pressure on Corporations

The exchange between Best Buy and the NCPPR reflects a broader trend of conservative pressure on corporations to reevaluate their support for LGBTQ causes. Companies like Bud Light and Target have faced criticism and calls for boycotts from conservative activists, leading to adjustments in their LGBTQ-focused marketing campaigns and products.

Response from LGBTQ Nonprofit

GLAAD, one of the LGBTQ nonprofits mentioned in the SEC filing, expressed disappointment with Best Buy's actions, with GLAAD's President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, condemning the company for turning its back on LGBTQ and ally employees and consumers.