( CNN ) The public outrage over the `` religious freedom '' bills recently passed in Arkansas and Indiana caught the governors of those states completely off-guard , judging by their confused and contradictory responses . As poll watchers , they surely knew that most Americans now oppose the discriminatory laws and practices they accepted as normal only a dozen years ago . But the politicians underestimated the pushback organized by local and national businesses , including companies with no previous record of public support for social equality . They had better adjust to a new reality . For the past three decades , socially conservative evangelicals and pro-business interests have been powerfully allied against government regulations , environmental initiatives and social welfare programs , while supporting lower taxes for the wealthy and pushing back against the growing diversity in America 's population . For many , this alliance been puzzling : Other , equally devout Christians who place more emphasis on Jesus Christ 's message of unconditional love and on his denunciations of excessive wealth and neglect of the poor , have been uncomfortable with it , as have many business leaders . Their priorities , after all , are based on the bottom line . And companies that sell goods and services to the public are learning that support for discrimination -- or even passive acceptance of it -- threatens that bottom line . Hence , after Indiana Gov . Mike Pence signed a law that opened a new door for discrimination against same-sex couples , the threat of boycotts and other retaliation was swift , from groups as diverse as the National Collegiate Athletic Association , the Indiana Pacers , Walmart , Eli Lilly , Apple and even the Marriott International hotel chain . Marriott International was founded by J.W . Marriott , a dedicated Mormon , and is now run by his son Bill , also a Mormon who fully accepts his church 's teachings about traditional marriage . Yet in June , Marriott International launched a `` # Love Travels '' marketing campaign , aimed at attracting lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender travelers with an assurance of `` the company 's commitment to make everyone feel comfortable about who they are . '' Asked about the discrepancy between his religious rejection of same-sex marriage and his marketing overtures to same-sex honeymooners , Marriott pointed to the Bible 's injunction of unconditional love , but added `` beyond that , I am very careful about separating my personal faith and beliefs from how we run our business . '' In 2014 , global spending by LGBT travelers was estimated at more than $ 200 billion , and spending by this market segment is rising much faster than overall spending on travel . So Marriott worries when states start to make such travelers feel unwelcome . Businesses seeking to develop brand loyalty among younger consumers have a special incentive to highlight their rejection of anti-gay bias . A CNN poll taken in February found that 72 % of millennials nationwide believe that same-sex couples have the right to have their marriages recognized as valid . Even among white evangelical Protestants , 43 % of millennials support same-sex marriage , compared with less than 20 % of those their grandparents ' age , 68 and older . It used to be that businesses could close their eyes to discrimination in areas geographically isolated from the more liberal coasts , but that is no longer possible . According to researchers for MTV 's `` Look Different '' anti-bias campaign , 90 % of youths aged 14 to 24 agree that it is important to make their communities a less biased place , and almost 80 % say that everyone has a responsibility to help tackle bias . So who 's the `` moral majority '' now ? For media-savvy millennials , following that moral imperative means spreading the news about discrimination wherever it occurs and reaching beyond geographic boundaries to mobilize against it . In the first 24 hours after Arkansas passed its version of the `` religious freedom '' bill , the Twitter hashtag # BoycottArkansas was used 12,000 times . It then snowballed after celebrity blogger Perez Hilton tweeted it to his 5.9 million Twitter followers . America has crossed a threshold where it is no longer a good business model or political strategy to be intolerant of diversity , whether that pertains to race , ethnicity , gender or sexual orientation . Since 2011 , the majority of children that have been born in the United States each year are members of racial or ethnic minorities . Hispanics are projected to account for most of the growth in the labor force between now and 2060 . Women now lead men in educational attainment . And more than half of Americans live in states where same-sex marriage is legal . Business leaders and politicians who ignore or offend these constituencies do so at their own peril .
Stephanie Coontz : Indiana , boycotts governors caught off guard by outrage , Arkansas over anti-LGBT law . She says religious conservatives who discriminate no longer hold sway in a culture comfortable with diversity , including same-sex marriage .