The number of companies earning top
marks for how they treat their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
employees has hit a record high, according to a new report released
by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights
advocate.
HRC's 16th annual Corporate
Equality Index (CEI) ranks 609 major companies with a perfect
score of 100, an 18 percent increase from last year.
“This record sets a new high water
mark for corporate leadership over the 16-year history of the CEI,”
HRC said in releasing its findings.
“At a time when the rights of LGBTQ
people are under attack by the Trump-Pence Administration and state
legislatures across the country, hundreds of top American companies
are driving progress toward equality in the workplace,” said HRC
President Chad Griffin. “The top-scoring companies on this year’s
CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include
employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies
to their operations around the globe and impacting millions of people
beyond our shores. In addition, many of these companies have also
become vocal advocates for equality in the public square, including
the dozens that have signed on to amicus briefs in vital
Supreme Court cases and the 106 corporate supporters of the Equality
Act. We are proud to have developed so many strong partnerships with
corporate allies who see LGBTQ equality as a crucial issue for our
country and for their businesses.”
Fourteen of the top 20 Fortune-ranked
companies received perfect ratings, including Wal-Mart, Chevron,
Amazon, Apple, General Motors, General Electric, Ford Motor Company,
CVS, AT&T, Verizon, Fannie Mae and HP.
ADP, Allstate, Amazon, BP, Carmax,
Dollar General, FedEx, Kohl's, Lyft, Nokia and Toyota Motor North
America were among the companies to receive a perfect score for the
first time. Apple and Xerox are among the companies that have
consistently scored high marks since the survey's introduction in
2002.