[untog]

Not really, just the definition of "pro-business" is changing. It used to be that all you needed to do was slash a few taxes and you were a pro-business state. These days businesses are looking to be located in areas where their employees will feel safe and welcomed, which excludes states that fight against gay marriage, for example.

I don't really see the argument that businesses choosing location based on taxes is fine but choosing based on employee life satisfaction is a crisis.

[yourbandsucks]

Choosing based on culture wars is buying into the bullshit. Gay marriage, for example, is federally protected.

We need to fix the culture divide in this country. Let's work from places where we agree rather than searching for disagreement. Lots of states are near the tipping point if we could only speak to each other honestly.

[spookthesunset]

> Choosing based on culture wars is buying into the bullshit.

It is absolutely not bullshit. I would flat out refuse to relocate to a red state. In the high tech industry, I'm not alone. Setting up shop in a deep red state is not a good way to attract world class talent from across the globe.

> Gay marriage, for example, is federally protected.

Small comfort when you are gay and wish to find a safe place to hang out for a drink and hook up... Small comfort when you are an ethnic minority waiting for a bus....

> We need to fix the culture divide in this country

In my opinion this is not gonna happen any time soon. The divide is almost to the bone. It is a fundamental divide that can't be solved with mere empathy or compromise. There is no empathy to be had and no common point for compromise.

[yourbandsucks]

You wouldn't move to a purple state and vote blue?

You can only tolerate an environment where absolutely everybody agrees with you?

You know where this goes, right? Let's pack all the liberals into 1/5 districts and give the rest to 60/40 conservative majorities. Great job everyone, at least nobody (rich) compromised their values.

[jimjansen]

>In my opinion this is not gonna happen any time soon.

Certainly not when there's so many people like you with bizarre black and white visions of the world.

[bobthepanda]

Homophobia didn't end with gay marriage. Sexuality is not a federally protected class in housing, employment, services, etc. What good is the fancy new headquarters and the six figure job if you can just get evicted on a moment's notice because of your sexuality, or if you can just get your face bashed in at the bar on a night out with your friends? http://www.keranews.org/post/how-texas-does-or-doesnt-deal-l...

If you're an employer, a great way to pre-emptively shoot yourself in the foot is to make yourself unattractive to employees and shrink your hiring pool in such a tight labor market.

[yourbandsucks]

Homophobia went from the mainstream view to a tiny fringe in 20 years. Even Trump isn't homophobic. And even California is home to a fringe.

What's the end game for "I refuse to deal with those people"? Permanent 60 R senators?

If you wouldn't live there, who should?

[bobthepanda]

> Even Trump isn't homophobic.

This is a bunch of malarkey. For a person who's supposedly not homophobic, he's appointed a lot of homophobic judges, has a homophobic Attorney General, is gutting a lot of executive orders and regulations on homophobia in the workplace, etc. And this is before we get into anything transgender. https://www.advocate.com/politics/2017/11/09/trumps-14-most-...

[yourbandsucks]

Way to miss the point.

[r00fus]

> These days businesses are looking to be located in areas where their employees will feel safe and welcomed, which excludes states that fight against gay marriage, for example.

This. Gay marriage is a good litmus test if you're a minority of any kind trying not to get discriminated against or shot.