WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, will honor 189 major U.S. employers as its 2012 ‘Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality” at the Eighth Annual LGBT Workplace Awards Seminar and Reception tonight.  The event, recognizing a decade of progress in corporate equality, will be hosted by Time Warner and held at the Time Warner Center in New York City.  Campbell Soup Company Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Rosalyn Taylor O'Neale will give the keynote address.   

“We’re honored to recognize these companies for their commitment to fairness and equality, but more importantly their commitment to their employees,” said Kathryn Friedman, HRC’s Workplace Project Director.  “These companies know that equal treatment of LGBT employees is not only the right thing to do, but also critical in staying relevant in today’s ever-changing workplace.”

Companies receiving the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality” distinction scored 100 percent on the HRC Foundation’s 2012 Corporate Equality Index, the national standard evaluating policies, practices and diversity efforts relating to LGBT workers.  The Index considers non-discrimination policies, benefits, diversity training and other internal resources for LGBT workers, as well as external support for LGBT consumers and job seekers.  This year HRC raised the bar, making the criteria to earn a 100 percent score on the CEI more stringent, including requiring companies to offer transgender inclusive healthcare coverage.  The 2012 Corporate Equality Index report is available at www.hrc.org/cei.  A full list of the 2012 “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality” can be found at www.hrc.org/placestowork.

Nine companies will receive special recognition at tonight’s ceremony for earning a perfect 100 percent score on the CEI for ten consecutive years.  These companies have consistently demonstrated a commitment to their LGBT employees and diversity in the workplace.  These companies are: Aetna Inc., Alcatel-Lucent, AMR Corp. (American Airlines), Apple Inc., Eastman Kodak Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Nike Inc., Replacements Ltd., and Xerox Corp.

While today’s honors demonstrate that corporate America continues to lead the way on the issue of workplace equality, too many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers remain at risk of losing their jobs and their livelihoods because there is no nationwide protection against employment discrimination.  HRC is urging Congress to remedy this inequality by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), common-sense legislation that would ensure American workers are judged on the merits, rather than irrelevant characteristics like sexual orientation and gender identity.  However, with action on ENDA unlikely because of anti-LGBT leadership in the House of Representatives, HRC also continues to urge President Obama to take an important step toward protecting LGBT workers by issuing an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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