Julie Samuels, Executive Director

When asked what they love most about New York, tech companies—the people who have founded them and those who work there—consistently point to the diversity that sets our city apart. We strive to hire talented, savvy employees who can help build the economic engine for this great city and who can help solve our biggest future challenges. It is no coincidence that we see the best results when we hire teams with diverse experiences and worldviews.

That is why we are so disappointed by the Trump Administration's recent decision to file a brief in a New York case arguing that the law should not protect LGBTQ individuals from workplace discrimination. Not only is it morally wrong, but it also discourages what we think makes for the strongest companies: collaboration among people who use their differences to their advantage, creating smarter products and better services for everyone, not just a select few.

Tech companies will solve some of the biggest and hardest challenges of our time. To do that, we must welcome the best and brightest, no matter their sexual orientation, gender, skin color, or any other characteristic that ultimately has no bearing on how they do their job. We have much work to do toward that end; unfortunately, should the Justice Department’s reading of the law prevail, that goal will be even harder to achieve.

New York has a long history of supporting the LGBTQ community, and Tech:NYC is proud to be part of that tradition today and everyday. While the Department of Justice has chosen to disregard the invaluable benefits of a diverse workforce, our members will continue to push forward in creating inclusive and supportive working environments that make our companies better.