Though Amazon already narrowed its list of second headquarter prospects down to 20, issues with state politics may complicate its final decision, according to CNBC.
Eleven of the 20 HQ2 finalist cities across nine states don't have any legal protections against firing an employee for their sexual preference, which has captured the attention of LGBT rights activists.
One group called No Gay? No Way! flew an airplane over Amazon's Seattle headquarters displaying a banner that read "No Gay? No Way!" Feb. 1, and ran digital ads in Seattle and the nine states that read: "Hey, Alexa? Why would Amazon even consider putting HQ2 in a state that discriminates against LGBT people?"
In its original announcement, Amazon noted "culture community fit" was one of its criteria for HQ2 homes, in addition to economic development opportunities, transportation access and infrastructure, skilled labor force and quality-of-life measurements.
However, Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos have historically been advocates of LGBT rights. Mr. Bezos even accepted an Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign in November, and the organization scored Amazon perfectly on its corporate equality index, according to CNBC.
Here are the nine states and 11 finalist cities that lack nondiscrimination laws.
1. Florida (Miami)
2. Georgia (Atlanta)
3. Indiana (Indianapolis)
4. North Carolina (Raleigh)
5. Ohio (Columbus)
6. Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh)
7. Tennessee (Nashville)
8. Texas (Austin and Dallas)
9. Virginia (Northern Virginia)
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