Open letter from the CEO of Reward Getaway to the Mayor of Plovdiv Ivan Totev
Open letter from the CEO of Reward Getaway to the Mayor of Plovdiv Ivan Totev
Yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer of the international company Reward Getaway with offices in Plovdiv Doug Butler published in his LinkedIn Profile an open Letter to the Mayor of Plovdiv Ivan Totev. In it, the manager expresses his concern about the increase of the hate speech and threats of violence in the second largest city in Bulgaria against people with unconventional sexual orientation as well as his willingness to cooperate with the GLAS Foundation and the local technological industry to open a wider dialogue and provide support for the LGBTI community. We are publishing the full text of the open letter in the hope that other top executives and companies will follow suit.
On behalf of Reward Gateway, I am writing to express my concern for recent activity in and around Plovdiv directed at the LGBTQ+ community and the Pride in Plovdiv event.
We have been informed of a recent increase in hate speech and threats of violence at scheduled events, and against members of this community in Plovdiv. We believe in the absolute right of all people to live and love as they wish, and hope that you and the political, business and other leaders in Plovdiv equally support tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion.
Some of the posters and other literature distributed in your city espouse ignorant and reckless falsehoods about gays and lesbians that threaten the wellbeing of our people. We have even read that there are local and national political elements trafficking in this hateful rhetoric.
I would like to ask you to please look into the matter, take whatever action you can to stop these hateful actions and to speak out against ignorance and hatred of all kinds for the sake of your values and your people.
Reward Gateway has been a long term employer in Plovdiv, and currently employs over 200 people with an annual payroll of several million lev. We have also recently committed to millions more in new facilities for our people in your beautiful city. Reward Gateway chooses to invest in the people and the city of Plovdiv because we believe we share common values and wish that the local environment is free from discrimination and welcoming to all people regardless of their sexual orientation.
We will be working with GLAS Foundation and the wider Tech industry in Plovdiv to create conversation and wider understanding as to how employers can support the LGBTQ+ community and we welcome your participation in this matter.
Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Doug Butler
Chief Executive Officer
“Let’s make the world a better place to work.”