The New York bank said it considered terminating the relationship but wanted to instead work with Thomas to create change
Thomas To Donate “Meaningful Portion” Of Citi Sponsorship To LGBTQ+ Community
Justin Thomas’ sponsor Citi has condemned the golfer’s actions and says that Thomas will donate a “meaningful portion” of his 2021 sponsorship fee to LGBTQ+ organisations.
In a blog post titled “When an apology isn’t enough,” the bank said it considered terminating the relationship but wanted to instead work with Thomas to create change.
The bank also says that it will end its relationship with the former World No.1 if he is not sincere in his work supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Thomas was recently dropped by Ralph Lauren after using the homophobic slur at the Tournament of Champions.
He said he respects the decision after putting the company in a “terrible position.”
“Citi is a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and equality more generally, and we found Justin Thomas’ language beyond offensive and in sharp contrast to what we stand for as a company,” a blog post read.
“While he recognized how wrong his language was and apologized, we have made it clear to Justin that an apology alone isn’t sufficient.
“We considered terminating our relationship with him.
“It would send a clear and important message, but we decided to use this moment to work with Justin to try to create change.
“While we have engaged with many in the LGBTQ+ community who agree with our decision, there are some – including some of my Citi colleagues – who believe that anything less than termination undermines our firm’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community
“Citi will work with Justin to use his platform to play an active role in accelerating support for the LGBTQ+ community and to increase awareness of the discrimination this community continues to face.
“In addition, he will donate a meaningful portion of his Citi 2021 sponsorship fee to mutually agreed upon LGBTQ+ organizations.
“We will work with Justin, our internal Pride networks and LGBTQ+ organizations to develop an action plan to quickly move this effort forward.
“So there is no doubt, we strongly condemn the use of this homophobic slur by Justin and anyone else, and our actions now should in no way be interpreted as excusing it or even forgiving it.
“This is not about Justin as an individual, but the view that his influence and this moment of public attention create an opportunity to educate many who are not sufficiently attuned to the discrimination the LGBTQ+ community continues to face and how words, actions and inactions perpetuate that discrimination.
“If at any point we feel that Justin is not sincere in working toward this goal, we will end our relationship with him.”
Related: Justin Thomas What’s in the bag?
This article Thomas To Donate “Meaningful Portion” Of Citi Sponsorship To LGBTQ+ Community appeared first on Golf Monthly.