Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs CEO, Supports Same-Sex Marriage (VIDEO)

One of Wall Street's most high-profile executives has joined the ranks of those speaking out in favor of same-sex marriage.

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein asks viewers to join a "majority of Americans who support marriage equality" in a new video for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy group. "America's corporations learned long ago that equality is just good business and it's the right thing to do," Blankfein says in the new video.

Blankfein last year signed an open letter calling on New York state lawmakers to legalize same-sex marriage, but as Reuters notes, the HRC video -- which was released on Sunday -- is "a rare public display of support on a highly controversial issue from one of the financial world's titans whose firm has not always endeared itself among supporters of liberal causes, depicted by some lawmakers and activists as the epitome of Wall Street greed."

HRC executive Fred Sainz told The New York Times that Blankfein had been sought out for precisely that reason. "Lloyd Blankfein is not someone average Americans would think is going to support marriage equality," he said. "The green visor crowd is not typically associated with socially progressive policies, and this is further proof that a diversity of Americans are coming to the same conclusion."

Goldman already has a non-discrimination policy in place that includes sexual orientation, according to CNNMoney.

View 10 other companies which have publicly supported marriage equality below:

Comments

[Syllogizer]

01:17 PM on 02/08/2012

Goldman Sachs robbed millions of billions. And now their President, their crook-in-chief, supports SSM. That SHOULD be a hint that SSM is robbing us of something, too.

[SnapShots]

12:01 PM on 02/08/2012

I smell a rat.

[Ian OFull]

02:13 PM on 02/07/2012

He makes me ill.

[Reality2012]

11:18 AM on 02/07/2012

Doing it just to be popular in the press. I bet he would avoid hiring gays given someone straight of similar skills if he had access to that info.

[chaserblue]

08:18 AM on 02/07/2012

It's a bit disconcerting when you find out Satan's right hand man shares your beliefs on something. Sends a slimy kind of chill up and down your spine...

[hrc04]

05:31 AM on 02/07/2012

"Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein asks viewers to join a "majority of Americans who support marriage equality" in a new video for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy group. "America's corporations learned long ago that equality is just good business and it's the right thing to do," Blankfein says in the new video."

Be careful with that public sentiment argument, Lloyd, I'm sure larger majorities want you and your ilk in jail. And about equality being good business, your crowd should believe in everyone playing by the same rules too. But I will give a bit of credit for being on the right side of this issue.

[thebigbike]

12:49 AM on 02/07/2012

I have to breathe the same planetary air as blankfein, now I have to be on the same side as him on something? ^> ( holding nose)

[timbohp]

12:29 AM on 02/07/2012

So, for all the xtians that were boycotting Starbucks, are they now going to move all their money, and credit cards, and mortgages etc?

[BigDaddyWow]

10:25 PM on 02/06/2012

My liberal brethren, may I present Mr. Lloyd Blankfein, your new brother. He is all yours.

[chaserblue]

08:21 AM on 02/07/2012

But his politics are Right Wing Conservative, so that would make him...mostly yours. He may share one POV with the Left, but everything else he does belongs to you.

[Giorgio Strafella]

10:22 AM on 02/07/2012

This is no right or left, it's a civil rights issue.

[Trustfunded1]

08:32 PM on 02/06/2012

When your business is asset stripping you don't want to seem harsh when it comes to social issues.

[dsmith4308111]

08:01 PM on 02/06/2012

Why is he not in jail for causing the recession?

[BigDaddyWow]

10:27 PM on 02/06/2012

Hey, he has spent a lot of money for that luxury.

[Erin84]

07:52 PM on 02/06/2012

Funny how many of these bigots on here are whining about this. Did you complain when this man robbed the American public blind? Just because this evil, greedy SOB supports gay marriage, does not mean gay people support him, and any gay person who does, doesn't speak for me, that's for sure. We'll do just fine without your "help," Lloyd. I can also see it now: the loons who cry about the "gay agenda" conspiracies getting all riled up about this guy, and thinking we wield some kind of power over rich, influential %&#$ers like him.

[BigDaddyWow]

10:29 PM on 02/06/2012

He is a pro-Wallstreet liberal; the most vile form of American.

[lukylip98]

06:20 PM on 02/06/2012

The majority of Americans don't give a flying----F

[jwbasinlaw]

09:11 PM on 02/06/2012

Actually a majority does and they support his viewpoint

[AdamWest1313]

10:21 PM on 02/06/2012

http://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/first-time-majority-americans-favor-legal-gay-marriage.aspx

Majority support it.

[wwhatever747]

06:07 PM on 02/06/2012

This CEO just became sick and wanted more attention, here he comes up with this support. God will take care of his elimination process sooner than expected.

[clpblank]

08:23 PM on 02/06/2012

I see that you still suffer from a sickness that you wrongly blame on your god.

[timbohp]

12:31 AM on 02/07/2012

If your gawd was going to do that, why hasn't It done it already? Why hasn't It killed all gays and their supporters? What is It waiting for?

[Syllogizer]

01:19 PM on 02/08/2012

Be careful what you wish for.

[june53]

05:15 PM on 02/06/2012

Thank you Mr. Blankfein. I applaud your advocacy & interest
in pure social rights for all.

Now, return all the funds stolen thru theWall Street & Bank Housing
Security Bundles you produced as a company and we'll really believe
you have some genuine social consciousness.

The jury is still out.