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Teleflora Partners with GLSEN to Honor Teachers Nationwide this Teacher Appreciation Week

Teachers play a major role in building brighter futures for our children in communities around the country. This May, Teleflora, the world’s leading floral delivery service and GLSEN, the leading education organization focused on ensuring safe and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 schools, are partnering to help you express your gratitude for all the teachers that are making a difference in your children’s lives. During Teacher Appreciation Week (May 8 to 12, 2017), individuals who purchase Teleflora’s Be Happy® Bouquet with Roses — a Teleflora “Fan Favorite” —  will enjoy 20 percent off the purchase price. In turn, Teleflora will donate 10 percent of all sales of Teleflora’s Be Happy Bouquet with Roses for Teacher Appreciation Week to advancing GLSEN’s mission, which ensures that students of every diverse school community are valued and respected, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression.

Since 1953, National Teacher Appreciation Day and Week have been recognizing the lasting contributions educators make in the lives of today’s youth. These annual celebrations are organized by the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA).

“Teachers play a vital role in molding the lives of today’s youth, and deserve to be celebrated for their hard work and dedication in helping all students thrive to their fullest potential,” said David Dancer, Teleflora’s Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing. “This is our second year supporting GLSEN and we’re thrilled to offer a gift that gives back to these well-deserved educators who help further GLSEN’s cause.”

“Year after year, LGBTQ students tell us that supportive teachers can make all the difference in their lives, especially when things get tough,” said Dr. Eliza Byard, GLSEN Executive Director. “With the generous support of Teleflora, we are honored to share our thanks for these supportive educators, along with thousands of students, parents, and community leaders with a gift that gives back.”

Teleflora’s Be Happy Bouquet with Roses (Available on Teleflora.com starting at $39.95)
This cheerful bouquet is sure to make someone smile, brimming with joyful yellow roses and playful daisies, all beautifully arranged in a keepsake happy-face mug for long-lasting enjoyment.

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HRC Announces Fellowships for 10 Young Nonprofit Leaders Working to End HIV in America

 

Fellowship ProgramThe Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation announced the selection of ten outstanding, young leaders for the second year of its fellowship program focused on elevating the work of young people on the front lines of the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

The HRC Foundation’s HIV 360° Fellowship Program, made possible with the generous support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), provides individualized training and support to innovative young professionals and nonprofit leaders as they tackle the challenges facing communities hit hardest by HIV, including Black and Latino gay and bisexual men, transgender women of color, and LGBTQ people living in the U.S. South.

“We are honored to welcome ten talented young leaders to the second class of HRC’s HIV 360° Fellowship Program,” said Mary Beth Maxwell, HRC Senior Vice President for Programs, Research and Training. “Through their dedication, creativity, and hard work, these activists are changing lives, expanding opportunity, and combatting the stigma and discrimination facing so many people living with and affected by HIV in the U.S. We look forward to working with them over the coming year and into the future as they continue to speak out, act up, and bring an end the HIV and AIDS epidemic once and for all.”

“The Elton John AIDS Foundation is proud to support HRC’s second class of HIV 360° Fellows,” said Scott Campbell, EJAF Executive Director. “This impressive, diverse group of leaders has a vast amount of professional and real world experience and represents viewpoints from across the country. The future of LGBTQ rights and HIV activism is brighter because of their commitment and dedication.”

The new class reflects a diverse cross-section of the activists and advocates working tirelessly to combat both the stigma and spread of HIV across the country:

  • Ashley Young of Little Rock is an experienced public health professional whose work is aimed at the improvement of health systems and health outcomes for underserved communities specifically geared towards women and children. Ashley currently serves as the project manager for the Passion Project, a SAMHSA funded initiative designed to expand and enhance substance use disorder treatment, behavioral health, HIV & AIDS, and viral hepatitis services to high risk African-American women who have substance use or co-occurring substance use issues and mental health disorders.
  • Charlie Ferrusi of New York City is an impassioned social justice activist, seeking to eliminate the health disparities faced by LGBTQ people as well as people living with and affected by HIV. Charlie received his MPH in Community Health from New York University College of Global Public Health. He currently serves as a Contract Manager at the NYS Department of Health, AIDS Institute in the LGBT Health Services Unit. Charlie works closely with both the Columbia County Young Democrats and Hudson Pride Foundation.
  • Damon Johnson of Atlanta is a rising public health leader dedicated to transformational social change. Damon currently serves as the Associate Director of Programs at NAESM, Inc., a community-based organization focused on the impact of HIV on communities of color in the South. Damon and his team take a multidisciplinary approach to developing comprehensive programs and initiatives that address the complex needs of people from marginalized communities.
  • Daniel Downer of Orlando is a budding community advocate who firmly believes in fostering unity for everyone regardless of their ethnicity, gender identity, race, or sexual orientation. He currently works as an Early Intervention Specialist for the Hope and Help Center of Central Florida, Inc. Daniel is a well-respected leader in his community for his ability to captivate, empower, inspire, and mobilize others to erase the stigmas not only surrounding HIV, but also ethnic and gender identity, homelessness, mental health and substance abuse, race, and sexual orientation.
  • Daniel Szymczyk of New York City is a graduate of Appalachian State University and a rising, nonprofit professional. He is the founder and Executive Director of The HIV League, the nation’s only scholarship-granting organization for students living with HIV. Daniel began focusing his efforts on HIV-related issues once he grew comfortable with his own HIV-positive diagnosis.
  • Erika Usui of New York City is a graduate of the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center’s School of Public Health. Erika currently serves as Health Services Coordinator at The Ali Forney Center, a community-based organization whose mission includes protecting LGBTQ youths from the harms of homelessness. Erika is committed to providing LGBTQ youth with the HIV prevention and treatment tools they need and deserve.
  • Francisco Cortes of Philadelphia is the Youth Program Coordinator at Galaei, a queer Latinx social justice organization based in Philadelphia. Francisco currently serves on the Board of Directors for Juntos, and he is the youngest appointed Commissioner to the Office of LGBT Affairs in the city of Philadelphia.
  • Jalenzski Brown of Dallas seeks to find peace, love, happiness, and understanding in every moment of his human experience and help those around him do the same. Jalenzski studies the world around him, seeking new truths in an effort to create a greater tomorrow. He currently works at Resource Center – North Texas’ primary LGBT and AIDS service organization – as the MPowerment Programs Manager, where co-manages HIV and STD prevention and treatment services.
  • Socorro Moreland of Oakland is a Puerto Rican, classically trained chef who was born in 1985 to a revolutionary family committed to social justice liberation and the Black power movement. Socorro found his calling within the HIV prevention field 11 years ago and coordinates programming and support services for transgender people of color within the Bay Area. Socorro currently works for APEB, a community-based, nonprofit organization.
  • William Campillo Terrazas of Little Rock was born in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and migrated to the United States at the age of 6. Upon receiving Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, William took a job as a Disease Intervention Specialist within the Arkansas Department of Health. In 2015, William helped co-found Latinxs Revolucion LGBTQ, a queer- and trans-led, community-based organization in Little Rock that focuses on the health and well-being of Latinx immigrants.

The new class of fellows will receive leadership and organizational development training, mentorship, as well as coaching in communications, leadership, fundraising, and other aspects of successful nonprofit management – all focused on strengthening their own community-based organizations and initiatives.

Members of last year’s inaugural fellowship class developed their non-profit management and leadership skills, and received a grant of up to $9,000 to design, implement, and evaluate innovative approaches to addressing the HIV and AIDS epidemic in their local communities. You can read more about their projects here. To date, the 2016 cohort’s efforts have helped more than 1000 LGBTQ people and allies access HIV-related programs and services in some of the nation’s hardest hit communities.

Since its founding, HRC has worked to end the dual epidemics of HIV and HIV-related stigma through federal, state and local advocacy as well as public education and outreach. By educating LGBTQ people and allies about the current realities of HIV, HRC has been able to mobilize its members and supporters to take action to support critical public health programs like the Ryan White Care Program, and to expand access to vital health care, treatment, and nondiscrimination protections made possible by the Affordable Care Act.

HRC has also worked with various public health organizations to raise awareness of and increase access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in communities across the nation hardest hit by HIV. HRC also regularly trains healthcare providers, front line workers, and community advocates on how to best provide LGBTQ-competent, HIV-inclusive care to the people most in need, especially those living throughout the Deep South.

For more information about the program, please visit: www.hrc.org/hiv360.

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Why Our Same-Sex Family Stays Visible And Vocal On Vacation

 

This past March Break, we travelled as a family to a small island off the coast of Cancun called Isla Mujeres. We love going to Mexico when given the opportunity. We enjoy the weather, the food, the beaches, the people. One day in the far-off future when it’s time for us to retire (we’re talking like many, many decades here!) we hope we can retire somewhere in Mexico.

We always find Mexico to be very accepting of same-sex families. Isla Mujeres is very kid-friendly and the locals seemed to be accepting of our family. When we travel, we have to take this into consideration, not only for Milo’s safety, but ours as well.

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As much as the locals are open and accepting of same-sex families, some of the tourists were not. On a few occasions, we were walking by the pool, and we would see this one family whisper, stare and point at us. The second time we saw them do this, we decided we would stop and say to them, “Hi! Yes, we’re gay!” They quickly turned around and didn’t make eye contact with us again.

We have travelled many times with Milo, and have been stared at, but this was the first time that we felt we were being made a spectacle of. Normally we receive stares as we walk by, or when we both play with Milo. We don’t think too much of it. We look at it as opening up people’s minds and educating them that there are different kinds of families out there. Our friends, Jason and Dan, were visiting Cancun with their son, Theo, and they had similar experiences at their hotel of people staring and whispering.

We need to not only normalize families like ours, but all families that don’t fit into a very narrow definition of what makes a family.

This family who was staring at us happened to be from the United States. Perhaps in their community, same-sex families are not that common and they felt the need to point us out to their family and talk about us. Or perhaps they pointed at us because he wanted to say, “Look at that fabulous couple there!” (We are going with the latter.) By the end of the vacation, two of their children were playing with Milo in the pool. It doesn’t matter that Milo has two dads — he is well-adjusted and mischievous, just like their little girls were.

When you look at our family, you see the same thing as any other family. We spend our days trying to keep our two-year-old happy, occupied and fed, all while trying to have a cocktail or two and a relaxing time. This is why it is important for same-sex families to be visible and vocal. We need to not only normalize families like ours, but all families that don’t fit into a very narrow definition of what makes a family. As you know, we define family on something very simple… love. Love is what makes a family.

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Our friends Jason and Daniel, their son Theo and our family at Isla Mujeres.

We are parents, just like any other family — traditional or otherwise. We raise our child with love, we teach him to be respectful and inclusive. We raise him to laugh and embrace life. Most important, we are a family.

Originally published on Family Is About Love. Please follow Frankie, BJ and Milo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

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LGBTQI Elder Information and Assistance Program Launches

The second year of local programs to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) seniors has started, including the launch of the LGBTQI Elder Information & Assistance Program to increase elders’ access to social services for the healthy aging. (LGBTQI = lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, and intersex.)

“We have partnered with Sebastopol Area Senior Center to provide a county-wide LGBTQI specific information and assistance service that will encourage LGBTQI seniors to feel comfortable in identifying their needs and accessing services,” according to Adult & Aging Division Interim Director Gary Fontenot.

Because of experiences of discrimination, LGBT seniors are often uncomfortable sharing who they are or seeking services from agencies that may not understand their concerns or were unsafe to access in the past. That worry makes them less likely to seek the support services they now need for healthy aging.

“Since all our staff members have been trained in LGBTQI concerns and issues,” according to the Center’s Executive Director Linda Civitello, “more LGBT seniors will be comfortable making contact and getting the services needed to improve their lives.” To reach the LGBTQI Elder Information & Assistance Program, please call or email Wayne Wieseler at Sebastopol Area Senior Center at (707) 829-2440, ext. 103. or wayne@sebastopolseniorcenter.org.

Given the high senior population in Sonoma County (25% and growing) and data showing that it has the second-highest number of LGBT couples in California (The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law), the LGBTQI Giving Circle Fund of the Community Foundation of Sonoma County and the Sonoma County Human Services Department Adult and Aging Division chose to fund expanded LBGT senior support services again this year.

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Report: Hate Crime Laws Have Resulted in Few Convictions for Anti-trans Violence

A 2009 hate crimes law meant to make federal prosecutions easier has resulted in relatively few convictions nationwide. An Associated Press analysis using data gathered by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University show that 47 people nationwide have been prosecuted using the law, with 37 convictions.

Another 300 people were referred for prosecution, but hate crimes charges were never filed. In at least half those cases, there wasn’t enough evidence or prosecutors couldn’t prove intent, a key threshold.

Shown here are the total number of cases that law enforcement agencies presented to federal prosecutors in each state, followed by the number of convictions.

Alabama: 13, 1

Alaska: 1, 0

Arizona: 12, 0

Arkansas: 9, 2

California: 34, 3

Delaware: 1, 0

District of Columbia: 1, 0

Florida: 5, 0

Georgia: 10, 1

Idaho: 14, 0

Illinois: 4, 0

Indiana: 4, 0

Iowa: 5, 1

Kansas: 3, 0

Kentucky: 11, 4

Louisiana: 6, 1

Maine: 3, 0

Massachusetts: 14, 0

Michigan: 23, 1

Minnesota: 2, 1

Mississippi: 20, 4

Missouri: 8, 0

Nebraska: 6, 0

Nevada: 3, 0

New Hampshire: 1, 0

New Jersey: 1, 0

New Mexico: 10, 3

New York: 6, 1

North Carolina: 11, 0

Ohio: 12, 0

Oklahoma: 7, 1

Oregon: 8, 1

Pennsylvania: 7, 0

Rhode Island: 1, 0

South Carolina: 10, 1

South Dakota: 3, 0

Tennessee: 8, 3

Texas: 17, 6

Utah: 9, 0

Virginia: 7, 0

Washington: 7, 2

West Virginia: 9, 0

Wisconsin: 1, 0

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No cases were presented in Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Vermont and Wyoming.

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Aging Gayfully! – And Radically

The word “radical” is often used to mean “extreme” but it also means “root”.  Being gay is the root of who I am.  All the other aspects of my personality including my elder journey revolve around that core of my being.

Some of us may remember the Radical Faeries who surfaced in the 1970’s.  This counter-culture movement emphasized the unique capacity of LGBT individuals to challenge cultural norms including traditional gender roles and definitions of relationships.  The Radical Faeries affirmed our differences and were in sharp contrast to those who sought assimilation into the mainstream culture by focusing more on our similarities with non-LGBT individuals.

Since then we seem to have found a comfortable balance, achieving equal rights such as same-sex marriage and the right to serve in the military by focusing on our similarities while still maintaining a vibrant LGBT community that celebrates its uniqueness with pride.

What are the commonalities and differences in our aging?  While we share the same concerns as non-LGBT older adults about the “unknowns” (How long will I live?  Will I maintain my health, mobility and mental acuity?  Will I need care?  Will my money last?), there are some unique additional challenges for us.  Many of us do not have the support of adult children or other family members; we might not have the same retirement assets as straight couples acquire after a lifetime together, and our long history of discrimination and harassment may have left us hesitant to now access the benefits and services we need.

So how can we LGBT elders approach our aging by focusing on our roots?  For starters, I think our long history as “cultural outsiders” gives us a unique capacity to not fall into aging stereotypes and pitfalls.  Growing up in a society with such strong gender stereotypes and sexual myths, we who have not fit those norms had to create a unique identity for ourselves.  That has better prepared us for facing the “identity crisis” that many face as aging diminishes the sense of self that is tied to cultural expectations, careers, parenting, and independence.   We can adapt to age-related changes with a deeper sense of self that is based on the root of our authentic nature, our essence.

Another strength we bring to aging is our resilience.  We’ve survived so many individual and collective struggles that our wounds have made many of us stronger.  We learned to meet challenges with courage, compassion, creativity, strength, humor, optimism and persistence, as well as an ability to develop supportive connections, so that we are now empowered to enjoy our aging with dignity and pride.  Let’s approach our aging radically by remembering our roots and experiencing and expressing even more of our uniqueness!

 

Buz Hermes is co-facilitator of the Sonoma Valley LGBT Seniors Group and a former staff member of Spectrum’s Senior Outreach Program.  He is currently a consultant on LGBT aging and can be reached at GaryDHermes@comcast.net or (707) 227-6935.

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Study: LGBTQ+ Individuals at High Risk to be Victims of Violence

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are at high risk for being victims of physical and sexual assault, harassment, bullying, and hate crimes, according to a new study by RTI International.

In a newly published report, funded by RTI, RTI researchers analyzed 20 years’ worth of published studies on violence and the LGBTQ+ community, which included 102 peer-reviewed papers as well as a few unpublished analyses and non-peer-reviewed papers. With The Henne Group, RTI also carried out a series of focus-group discussions with LGBTQ+ communities in San Francisco; New York City; Durham, North Carolina; and rural Wyoming.

“Our research indicates that LGBTQ+ people face significant danger in their daily lives – and that their victimization affects their education, safety, and health,” said Tasseli McKay, a social scientist at RTI and the study’s lead author.

The researchers found that in a range of studies with LGBTQ+ individuals, victimization experiences are clearly and consistently correlated with behavioral health conditions and suicidality, sexual risk-taking and HIV status, other long-term physical health issues, and decreased school involvement and achievement. Such effects are often sustained many years after a victimization event.

The focus groups touched on a variety of topics including bullying, hate crimes, harassment and violence.

A transgender participant in a focus group held in Durham, North Carolina said, “Once you’ve been read as being a trans person, you check out, they check out. For us it’s safety. For them, it’s discomfort. It’s a heightened stigmatization.”

Other key findings from the report include:

  • Despite a public perception of greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in present-day society, disparities in victimization have remained the same or increased since the 1990s.
  • Schools are a special concern. Many LGBTQ+ youth reported being afraid or feeling unsafe at school, and school-based victimization of LGBTQ+ youth was associated with decreased school attendance, poorer school performance, and steeply increased risk of suicide attempts.
  • Contradicting the common perception of hate-related victimization as being committed by strangers or acquaintances, LGBTQ+ people are often victimized by close family members, particularly their own parents and, for bisexual women, their male partners.

“We need more research to better understand what policies will provide LGBTQ+ youth with safer school and home environments, what resources provide LGBTQ+ people who are victims of violence the best support and how we can ultimately create a larger societal climate that doesn’t tolerate persistent, pervasive, lifelong victimization,” McKay said.

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Public Health Experts Affirm Virally Suppressed People Living With HIV Do Not Transmit the Virus

NASTADToday, NASTAD (National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors), a leading non-partisan non-profit association that represents public health officials who administer HIV and hepatitis programs in the U.S. and around the world, published a new statement affirming that durably virally suppressed people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) do not sexually transmit the virus. The statement accelerates NASTAD’s longstanding work to end HIV and promote policies and public health practice grounded in science.

”The science is clear that people living with HIV with a sustained undetectable viral load do not transmit the virus to others. What’s also clear is that we have the tools to end the HIV epidemic and HIV-related stigma and make new infections a thing of the past. Today, we tackle a major part of this work by raising awareness about the latest science of HIV transmission risk,” remarked NASTAD Executive Director Murray Penner.

“Until now, there hasn’t been anyone ensuring this life-changing information is communicated clearly and meaningfully to people living with HIV,” said Bruce Richman, Executive Director of Prevention Access Campaign and the Undetectable = Untransmittable Initiative. “NASTAD was the first non-profit to endorse the Prevention Access Campaign’s Consensus Statement last year representing a bold step toward sharing a message that will improve the social, sexual, and reproductive lives of millions of people living with HIV in the U.S. and around the world.”

  • The conclusive evidence about the highly effective preventative benefits of ART provides an unprecedented opportunity to improve the lives of people living with HIV, improve treatment uptake and adherence, and advocate for expanded access to treatment and care.
  • People living with HIV who are on ART and are durably virally suppressed are not only less likely to develop HIV-related complications, they also do not transmit the virus to others. This new evidence will help ameliorate decades of HIV-related stigma, discrimination, and criminalization by confirming that treatment is a powerful preventive intervention.
  • Zero new linked transmissions in the PARTNER study based on new findings and zero transmissions from virally suppressed partners in HPTN 052 trial studying whether ART can prevent sexual transmission of HIV equates to there being effectively no chance of sexual HIV transmission from people living with HIV who are on ART and durably virally suppressed.
  • An FAQ on the PARTNER study notes that STIs and likely small short-lived increases in viral load or ‘blips’ did not increase HIV transmission risk during sex in this study. STIs and viral blips have not been shown to increase transmission risk from an HIV positive person who is on ART and virally suppressed in any study or empirical evidence to date.
  • While viral suppression prevents the transmission of HIV, consistent and correct condom use and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) also prevent the transmission of HIV, and condoms provide additional protection for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy.

These findings have been embraced by leading experts in the field, including:

“People living with HIV who achieve viral suppression are a fundamental part of ending new HIV infections in the United States and around the world in our lifetime. History will judge us by how well we respond to this unprecedented opportunity,” noted Dr. Demetre Daskalakis.

In conjunction with new and existing partners, NASTAD will continue to advocate at the national level to raise awareness about the latest science of HIV transmission risk and implement policies and practices grounded in our best science void of stigma and discrimination. Finally, NASTAD will continue to monitor the scientific landscape for advances that will enhance our understanding of how to reduce new HIV infections and optimize the quality of life for people living with HIV.

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ATIXA Reissues Position Statement on Title IX, Gender Equity, and Gender Expression

ATIXA Recent developments have prompted Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) to revise and reissue its position statement on the protections of transgender and transitioning people under Title IX. The arguments for inclusion remain largely unchanged, however the history of the issue has been edited to reflect changes in the current political winds.

This ATIXA position statement reflects the importance of protections for gender nonconformity, gender identity, gender expression, transitioning and transgender status conferred by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Allegations of such discrimination should be subject to a civil rights, equity-based response from any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. ATIXA strongly endorses and supports these protections and encourages their full implementation within all schools, colleges and universities subject to Title IX.

Because the verbiage of Title IX itself is broad in its protections, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) interpretation of the law has evolved over time, progressively focusing on employment discrimination, equity in athletics, sexual harassment and sexual violence. OCR and the courts are now debating whether the Title IX lens should focus on the rights of gender-nonconforming and transgender individuals to ensure their access to the full benefits of federally funded educational programs.

To read the history of this issue, please see their full position statement.

As schools establish new policy and turn toward best practices now in the absence of federal guidance, ATIXA encourages broad consideration of the very real barriers to education faced by students identifying as transgender. To be clear, schools are now free to protect transgender and transitioning students as much as they want, unless there is state law to the contrary, and many state laws explicitly include gender identity and expression as protected classes.

ATIXA supports gender nonconforming and transgender individuals enrolled and/or employed by schools and colleges and welcomes the diversity they bring. ATIXA hopes that its members will endeavor to assure that school and college communities will be safe, hospitable and supportive for those gender nonconforming and transgender individuals within our communities.

Founded in 2011, ATIXA is the nation’s only membership association dedicated solely to compliance with Title IX and the support of our more than 3,000 administrator members who hold Title IX responsibilities in schools and colleges. ATIXA is the leading provider of Title IX training and certification, having certified more than 3,000 Title IX coordinators and more than 8,000 Title IX investigators since 2011. ATIXA releases position statements on matters of import to our members and the field, as authorized by the ATIXA Board of Advisors. For more information, visit atixa.org.

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HRC Rleases 2017 Buying Guide for Equality-minded Shoppers

2017 Buyers GuideFrom Airbnb to Audi, companies used their advertising airtime during the 2017 Super Bowl to embrace the values of inclusion and equality. And those values are increasingly shared by consumers looking to spend their dollars to make a statement for equality, writes Sarah McBride of the Human Rights Campaign.

To help direct consumers to companies that value LGBTQ inclusion in their workplaces, the HRC Foundation has released its annual Buying for Workplace Equality guide.  The guide, first issued a more than a decade ago by the HRC Foundation, provides invaluable consumer information based on company scores reported in the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), as well as HRC-researched data on additional well-known companies and their brands.

“Businesses continue to lead the way on LGBTQ equality,” said Liz Cooper, HRC Foundation, Associate Director, Corporate Equality Programs. “The brands behind this year’s most talked about Super Bowl ads demonstrated that they know consumers are looking for companies that reflect their values of fairness and equality. The Buying for Workplace Equality guide is a powerful tool for LGBTQ and equality-minded consumers, providing a quick reference to those familiar, popular brands that are also prioritizing LGBTQ inclusion.”

The new guide includes more than 750 companies,  597 of them rated in the CEI, and an additional 160 independently researched by the HRC Foundation. A total of 5,037 affiliated businesses and brands are featured in this year’s report. Companies independently researched have declined invitations to actively participate in the CEI; their scores are based on publicly-verifiable information. The sectors featured are:

  • Apparel & Accessories
  • Banking & Finance
  • Food & Beverage
  • Home & Garden
  • Restaurants
  • Technology
  • Retailers
  • Entertainment
  • Oil and Gas
  • Shipping
  • Fun and Games
  • Pet Care
  • Automotive
  • Newsstand
  • Household Products
  • Insurance and Healthcare
  • Health and Beauty
  • Kids
  • Travel and Leisure

Businesses and their products are divided based on their CEI rating into red, yellow and green categories so that consumers can easily determine which brands support LGBTQ workplace equality:

  • Green (80-100): Businesses/brands with the highest workplace equality scores.
  • Human Rights Campaign National Corporate Partners The support of these businesses is directly tied to the Human Rights Campaign’s success in ensuring equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. All HRC National Corporate Partners are required to maintain a CEI score of 85 or above.
  • Yellow (46-79): Businesses/brands that have taken steps toward a fair-minded workplace and     receive a moderate workplace equality score.
  • Red (0-45): Businesses/brands that receive our lowest workplace equality scores
  • Italics (Non-responder): Businesses/ brands that have not responded to the survey despite repeated attempts and have been provided with an estimated score based on publicly available information that has been researched.

Now more than ever, it is important to support businesses that support equality. To read the 2017 Buying for Workplace Equality, visit: http://www.hrc.org/apps/buyersguide/

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