Wal-mart: An unlikely voice for gay rights

Retail giant Wal-Mart played a major part in the fight for equality when its CEO spoke out against a bill that would let businesses discriminate on religious beliefs, writes Nathan Layne in Chicago    

The chief executive of Wal-Mart Stores has emerged as an unlikely voice for gay rights after the Arkansas governor heeded his call to reject a much-criticised bill.

However, the decision by Doug McMillon to speak out against the ‘religious freedom’ bill reflects more than a decade of evolving policy by the retailer on the issue of gay and lesbian rights, and follows a pattern of taking stands on social issues when it makes business sense to do so.