60 Corporations That Improved LGBTQ Policies in 2020

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The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) this week released its 19th ‘Corporate Equality Index’, which closely examines the LGBTQ+ policies of thousands of American corporations, including most of the Fortune 500. Even with the tumult of 2020 ... corporate America trended toward inclusivity, with 60 corporations that previously appeared on the CEI receiving perfect scores for the first time.

In total, 767 businesses met all the criteria to earn a 100 percent rating and the designation of being a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality,” including several that participated in the CEI for the first time ever.

HRC considers numerous criteria when ranking company's LGBTQ+ inclusivity. Criteria 1 is workplace protections, specifically if companies prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (also, in 2020 the Supreme Court banned anti-LGBTQ+ workplace discrimination across the U.S.). Criteria 2 is whether companies offer inclusive medical benefits and other additional benefits for same-sex spouses and domestic partners as well as transgender-inclusive medical care. Criteria 3 ranks companies on inclusive culture and corporate responsibility, specifically diversity training for management and new hires, gender transition guidelines, LGBTQ+ resource groups, and outreach and engagement to the LGBTQ+ community, either through marketing, advertising, or philanthropy.

Numerous top-ranked Fortune 500 companies, from Walmart to Apple to AT&T, once again received scores of 100 on the CEI after crossing the threshold last year and in previous years. But there were dozens of companies that have previously participated in the CEI that just hit 100 in the 2021 report.
Download the full 2021 Corporate Equality Index here: https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/CEI-2021_FINAL.pdf?mtime=20210128123716&focal=none

https://www.advocate.com/business/2021/1/29/chipotle-papa-johns-60-corps-improved-lgbtq-policies-2020