7 replies to this topic

[Lori]

The Human Rights Campaign released its annual Corporate Equality Index (2012) report, rating US corporations for LGBT equality

See the report: CEI 2012

Ten out of the top 20 Fortune 500 corporations scored 100% for LGBT equality in the workplace. Here are a few of the top scoring companies for LGBT equality. They will be good places for us to seek employment and for our business. Congratulations to these progressive corporations.

• Chevron
  
• Bank of America
  
• AT&T
  
• Ford Motor Co.
  
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
  
• Hewlett-Packard
  
• Citigroup
  
• Cardinal Health, Inc.
  
• Wells Fargo
  
• IBM

This list is restricted to the top 20 Fortune 500 corporations. There are many other corporations that scored well in the index. Review the full list: CEI 2012

[UsernameOptional]

I guess Exxon.... REALLY screwed up!

[MsBeth]

Glad to say my computer is a hp!

[Lori]

 MsBeth, on 13 December 2011 - 07:17 PM, said:

Glad to say my computer is a hp!

Yes, and I feel inclined to do business with companies that support us. The full list is worthwhile to check out.

[UsernameOptional]

"Glad to say my computer is a hp! " -Beth
"Yes, and I feel inclined to do business with companies that support us." -Lori
This made me think about perhaps avoiding the companies who have not responded to CEI's repeated invitations to take the equality surveys. So I put together a little list. This is a *partial listing of Fortune 500 companies that won't, for what ever reason(s), participate. Many of these companies have zero points. Some have 15 or 30 points, those points only for prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. The points come from publicly available information.

How many of us shop at Family Dollar, Dollar General or Dollar Tree? Get your television viewing from DISH Network? Fix your vehicle with parts from Advance Auto Parts? Enjoy that stupid duck that hawks "AFLAC?" Use Avery office supplies? How many of you wallow in the scents and smells from Bed Bath & Beyond, or Polo Ralph Lauren? Ever saved a few dollars at Big Lots? How often has Blockbuster supplied your friday night movie? Are you in touch with the world thru Charter Communications? Is Dillards your preferred department store? Fuel your vehicle at Exxon stations? Drive on Goodrich or Goodyear tires? Damn!! I've always wanted a Harley... No more Lowe's lumber. Just lost another parts store - O'Reilly's, but then, I never cared for O'Reilly's. No more Oshkosh for da little ones. I guess I won't go back to smoking if I can't have my Marlboros (Philip Morris Internationl). Pilgrim's Pride...buncha chickens! I never cared much for Radio Shack anyway. Won't miss shopping in Ross'...never been in there. Sure glad Sherwin-Williams doesn't make artist's paints. Oh, no...Sunoco, too? Guess I won't be going back to U.S. Cellular (Telephone & Data Systems Inc).
Tyson, too?...where am I gonna get my chicken from? Winn-Dixie? <sigh> I'm gonna starve.

I'm sure a lot of us shop at Wally-World. Their rating ain't so good (only 60 points)... but I guess they are better than the companies above since they do participate in the CEI survey. Some of you may already have looked to see what's holding Wal-mart back, but if you haven't...here it is --
Wal-mart apparently does not:
--offer partner health/medical insurance, which would get them 15 points
--offer TG-inclusive health insurance coverage, which would get them 10 points
--have firm-wide organized competency programs, another 10 points
--and falls short (getting only half of the available 10 points) as they do not have parity across [all] other "soft" benefits for partners.

Fixing these areas would put them in the running with all the other companies with 100%.

*I picked the companies I thought most people would be familiar with - there are many, many more in the index that don't participate.

[PlagueBubonic]

http://www.google.co...qMAJU_89BdZQzoQ
I found out that Walmart is transgeneder friendly, as well. Check this link out please.

[Lori]

I know the local Walmart has hired several gay friends and I remember a person I strongly suspected of being either transgender or intersex who worked there. They appear, in my local community, to have a pretty diverse workplace. I think they fall in with a lot of other employers who are doing some things but need to step it up and do more.

[UsernameOptional]

I think many people were happy when Walmart allegedly became "GLBT-friendly." But either the article or the info in the article is rather old...perhaps five years or more. And in that time...it appears that some (management) in Walmart have forgotten that they are supposed to be "GLBT-friendly." Also...I think as Lori's post suggests, it might also depend on where a Walmart is located.

The WalMart Experience, a thread begun by a member (July 2010)

Horrified in the break room, a thread begun by a member (March 2010)

Wal-Mart shuns GLBT groups, a news piece brought to us by a moderator (July 2007)

Gay Employee forced to wear identifying clothes, 2010. I thought a member had posted on this topic, but a quick search returned nothing. I'm sure it's here...perhaps someone else will have better luck finding it.

Female employees file new case (Oct 2011). While this case has to do with parity in pay between males and females, it certainly goes hand-in-hand with any other sort of discrimination, and if a company is capable of discrimination in one corner, it is capable of discrimination in any corner.

Walmart was ordered to pay more than $2million to a cashier they fired after discovering she was undergoing SRS. The date on this ABC news piece simply reads "July 19," so I think it's safe to say...the article is from this year.

So... maybe Walmart is trying to do the right thing. Perhaps the question is... how hard are they trying? It could be a simple case of the wrong people holding the position of manager in any given store...but until Walmart meets all the requirements of the CEI survey, I would say a person's best bet is to avoid the locations with bad track records. And if you're transitioning while working for one of those better locations, the only other support you might get is that your meds will be available in their pharmacy.