Passersby at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C., can’t help notice an 83-foot-tall banner featuring NBA player Jason Collins under the hashtag #LoveTravels. “Every time I travel, whether for my personal life or with the NBA, I want to feel welcome,” says the Brooklyn Nets center, who came out as gay in 2013.
Marriott International’s latest outreach campaign features several prominent LGBT advocates. And it’s among a growing number of U.S.-based travel companies to voice support for the gay rights movement—benefiting not only travelers, but also those working behind the front desk.
“The travel industry has been an early pioneer of LGBT inclusion,” says Deena Fidas, director of the Human Rights Campaign’s Workplace Equality Program. It releases an annual index for corporate policies relating to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees.