Bill Marriott: Don't tie me to LDS Prop..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

While acknowledging that he is a Mormon, Bill Marriott said this week that neither he nor his company, Marriott International, contributed to the campaign to pass Proposition 8, a California ballot measure that would define marriage as solely between a man and a woman.

Gay-rights activists urged their supporters to boycott Marriott hotels around the world because of Marriott's membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which raised about $22 million for the initiative that passed Nov. 4.

For the past 20 years, Marriott International has had domestic-partner benefits and has earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for two years in a row, Marriott said in a release. Many of the hotels have hosted gay-community functions and events for years.

"The Bible that I love teaches me about honesty, integrity and unconditional love for all people," Marriott said. "But beyond that, I am very careful about separating my personal faith and beliefs from how we run our business."

Bill Marriott: Don't tie me to LDS Prop. 8 efforts