Fragrance Notes Issue 1, 2019 | Page 24

ASSOCIATION NEWS IN WASHINGTON D.C.’S BLAGDEN ALLEY, THE LOVE MURAL STANDS AS A SYMBOL OF POSITIVITY AND INCLUSION. LISA MARIE THALHAMMER PAINTED IT 2017 AS PART OF THE DC ALLEY MUSEUM, A PROJECT SHE CO-FOUNDED. COURTESY OF THALHAMMER, THIS IMAGE IS AVAILABLE AS A FINE ART ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT. “I CALL IT ‘LOVE REFLECTIONS’ IN CELEBRATION OF THE MURAL’S ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY,” SAID THALHAMMER. “I CAPTURED THE IMAGE IN THE RAIN SO THAT THE COLORS WOULD REFLECT ON THE WET BRICK.” FIND MORE OF LISA’S WORK AT LISAMARIESTUDIO.COM AND FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM AT @LISAMARIESTUDIO. Fragrance Creators Signs Letter in Support of the Equality Act The measure would provide employment non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity On March 13, 2019, Fragrance Creators joined nearly 50 industry organizations in signing on to a letter in support of the pas- sage of the Equality Act, which would would provide “consistent and explicit non-discrim- ination protections for LGBTQ people across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service,” according to the Human Rights Campaign. Jointly introduced in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate with Democratic and Republican support, The Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act to prohibit dis- crimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Addressed to Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Senate Minorty Leader 24 | FRAGRANCENOTES.ORG | Issue 1, 2019 Chuck Schumer, the letter states: “The undersigned trade and professional associa- tions support provisions in the Equality Act that amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to provide employment non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Equality of opportunity is a key pillar of our great democracy—one that allows all people to pursue their American Dream—and part of what makes our nation exceptional. Our industries, representing tens of millions of Americans, understand this basic fact and have been at the forefront of efforts to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace. We believe an appropriately-tailored federal standard would complement our members’ ongoing work to promote equal opportunity in the workplace. A clear federal standard would better enable individuals to succeed based on their abilities and qualifica- tions to perform a job. Our members recog- nize the value of equal opportunity because it enables them to attract and retain the most talented employees. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act provides a well-understood legal framework for preventing and addressing discrimination. Amending the Act to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity is a sensible approach to ensure con- sistency with other protected classes. We look forward to working with Con- gress to promote and perfect the Equality Act, as we believe it meets these criteria.” “Fragrance Creators is proud to support The Equality Act,” said President & CEO Farah K. Ahmed. “We’re proud to use our voice, our political and industry relation- ships, and our influence to stand up and advocate for what we believe is right.”