Expedia Supports Gay Marriage In Washington State

Popular online travel company Expedia has joined an ever-growing list of corporations expressing support for marriage equality in Washington state.

Bellevue Patch reports that the site, which is based in Bellevue, Wash., announced it would back Referendum 74, which could effectively affirm the legislatively backed law legalizing same-sex marriage. That referendum will be on the ballot in November.

Expedia President Dara Khosrowshahi detailed the company's stance in a statement:

"We strive to actively promote equality in our workplace and are committed to treating one another with respect and dignity. Part of our overall diversity efforts is providing a supportive environment for our LGBT employees.

Today, we add our voice to the topic of marriage equality. We thoughtfully engage in this public discussion because it has a significant impact on our employees, customers, and partners, all with whom we interact daily. Supporting the legislation recently passed in Washington State –- which provides same-sex couples with the same right to civil marriage that opposite-sex couples already enjoy –- is a natural extension of our ongoing commitment to the LGBT community."

Expedia has 2,270 employees in Washington state and 8,900 worldwide, the statement also noted.

Just how national gay marriage opponents will respond remains to be seen, but General Mills and Starbucks are just two of the companies to experience protests and/or a backlash after expressing their support.

Still, despite a heavily-publicized campaign organized by the National Organization for Marriage against the coffee giant, Starbucks recently reported that their sales and stocks have not been impacted since the coffee giant came out in favor of same-sex marriage, according to Towleroad.