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Michaels arts and crafts store | Photo: Wikimedia Commons
US-based arts and crafts retailer Michaels has joined the Open to All campaign, embracing LGBTI inclusion.
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Based out of Irving, Texas, Michaels Companies, Inc. is the largest arts and crafts retail chain in North America. The Open to All campaign is a nationwide initiative where major corporations, independent retailers, nonprofits, and other groups agree to embrace the principle of nondiscrimination by welcoming all customers, regardless of physical characteristics.
In order to join the campaign, companies must pledge to foster a welcoming and safe environment for all employees, customers, clients, and visitors.
‘We are very proud and excited to be announcing our alignment with the Open to All campaign,’ Mallory Smith, a public relations manager at Michaels, told Metro Weekly.
‘We are a company that is truly rooted in diversity and inclusion. We have a firm belief here that anyone can make thread. And anyone should have the ability to be creative and express themselves. Regardless of race, sex, gender, or other characteristics. We want to be known as a company and store that welcomes that. And make sure that everyone feels comfortable when they walk through our doors.’
To publicize their participation in the campaign, Michaels will feature the ‘Open to All’ window decal in over 1,100 stores across the United States and Canada.
‘It was important for us as a company to make it known and be a leader in the space when it comes to protecting people. Whether our customers or team members, from discrimination, and making sure we are a clear advocate for diversity and inclusion,’ Smith said. ‘Those are policies we really lean into, from our CEO on down.’
‘This is a commitment that we are proud and thrilled to be a part of. And I think by having that seal on our door, hopefully it allows people to be comfortable and feel that Michaels is a safe place for them to shop,’ she continued. ‘I always joke, “We’re not curing cancer. We’re selling wiggly eyes, and glitter, and tulle and ribbon”. It should be a fun place, and we also wanted to be supportive as well.’
Open to All
Calla Rongerude, the manager of the Open to All campaign, praised Michaels for joining.
‘Michaels has been a champion around diversity and inclusion efforts,’ she said. ‘They are taking a lot of steps both internally, with their policies, and in training their employees. And externally, within the community. By standing up and saying they treat everyone on the same terms and that they will not discriminate.’
Other companies participating in the Open to All campaign include Gap, Yelp, Levi’s, Airbnb, Lyft, and Marriott.
See Also
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