HRC Foundation Announces Record Participation in Upcoming 2025 Corporate Equality Index, Docks Scores of Seven Companies in Current Ranking Following Their Pullback From[...]

Business leaders retreating from the values of inclusion and equity are making a hasty decision that abandons their LGBTQ+ employees and customers, in addition to people of color , women, people with disabilities, and more, in response to an extreme, vocal minority. The LGBTQ+ community brings $1.4 trillion in buying power and nearly 30% of Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+.

This news comes as shareholder groups are considering options from proxy proposals, to litigation, to targeting board members to reinstate diversity and inclusion programs at Lowe's, John Deere, and other companies. August 2024 data from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation makes clear that 80% of LGBTQ+ consumers are not only opting to boycott companies that are rolling back diversity and inclusion initiatives, but more than half will urge others to do so also, taking their concerns to social media or sharing negative company reviews. Additionally, for employees at companies walking back their commitments to inclusion, nearly 20% of LGBTQ+ employees said that they would quit working for that company or start looking for a new job and one-third of LGBTQ+ employees said their productivity would suffer. HRC supporters have already sent nearly 140,000 letters to the seven companies who have backed away from workplace inclusion, a sign of how strongly the community is reacting to these walkbacks.

About the Corporate Equality Index (CEI):

• The Corporate Equality Index is the foremost national benchmarking tool measuring policies, practices and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) employees. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index is a primary driving force for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion. Data from the CEI tells the story of over two decades of year-over-year growth in the adoption of these critical policies and practices indicative of employers' commitment to equality.

• In 2023-2024, a record-breaking 1,384 companies - 128 more than in 2022 - actively participated in the CEI, showing real growth in the number of companies who are committed to implementing LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices.

• Among all participating companies:

  • 97% of CEI rated employers explicitly include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as a part of their nondiscrimination policy.

  • 70% of CEI participants documented that they provide inclusive benefits for same- and different-sex spouses and partners.

  • 94% of CEI-rated businesses (a record 1,298 of 1,384 respondents) offer at least one transgender-inclusive plan option with current market standard coverage.

• The full Corporate Equality Index for 2023-2024 can be found here.