The LGBTQ+ community has grown in size behind increasing acceptance levels in the workplace. It has been amazing to see so many organizations employ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as part of their corporate pillars. But this effort did not happen by accident. In fact, much credit goes to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) for raising awareness, as it helped corporate America become more inclusive and ensure their standards and policies align with people’s identities. HRC brought LGBTQ+ workplace rights to the forefront in 2002, with the launch of its annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI) to identify the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.”
Each year HRC sets the criteria for the CEI. A growing number of companies then submit a survey that addresses their efforts to empower the LGBTQ+ community. HRC calculates scores and issues the Equality 100 Awards, which honor those with perfect scores.
HRC just issued its 2023-24 report, which rates a record 1,384 companies that submitted data, with 545 earning perfect scores including LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance partners First American Title, Bank of America, US Bank, TD Bank, and Truist.
But something was different this year compared to 2022 when the CEI saw a record 842 companies earn a perfect score. What happened that there were about 300 fewer companies with perfect scores? Organizations are not becoming more anti-LGBTQ+. Instead, HRC continues to raise its standards for what it means to be an inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ people.
HRC shared that “this year, in order to achieve top rating on the CEI, employers must provide gender transition guidelines to establish best practices in transgender inclusion in the workplace.” The most recent criteria increased the importance of inclusive benefits and cultural support for LGBTQ+ workers and additional LGBTQ+ training and accountability requirements.
I applaud HRC for “pushing the envelope” as it seeks even greater support for our transgender and non-binary community members. We are hopeful that our partners who remain on the CEI, but did not score 100, will push to meet the higher standards. We know they have not fallen off and consistently move forward by strongly supporting their LGBTQ+ employees, listening to them closely, and positively impacting their LGBTQ+ consumers. That group includes Anywhere and its brands—Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran, ERA and Sotheby’s International Realty—Rocket Companies (Rocket Mortgage) and Freddie Mac.
This is not the first time HRC has raised its standards. When the first report was issued in 2002, approximately 250 companies participated with just 11 earning perfect scores. After the initial report was issued, 30 major firms contacted HRC and stated they would participate the following year. It happened. In 2003, nearly 700 participated and 21 received perfect scores while 80 improved their score. In fact, the median score was 71% compared to just 57% in 2002. Today, the 378 Fortune 500 companies that participate in the CEI have a median score of 86%.
Looking back at the early years of the CEI, the criteria looks normal by today’s standards:
- Have a written non-discrimination policy covering sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression
- Offer health insurance coverage to employees’ same-sex domestic partners
- Offer diversity training
- Have LGBTQ+ employee groups
- Engage in appropriate and respectful advertising to the LGBTQ+ community
- Provide financial contributions to LGBTQ+ community organizations
- Decline to engage in any activities that would undermine the goal of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people
These seven criteria have essentially remained while HRC has added to them. For example, in 2012, HRC added:
- Comprehensive requirements for partner benefits
- Transgender-inclusive benefits
- Organizational competency on LGBTQ issues
- External engagement with the LGBTQ community
Prior to this year, the last time HRC made significant changes was in 2016, when it added the following to its criteria:
- Have sexual orientation and gender identity non-discrimination protections explicitly included in all operations, both within the U.S. and extending to global operations
- Requiring all U.S. contractors to abide by companies’ existing inclusive non-discrimination policies
- Implementation of internal requirements prohibiting company/law firm philanthropic giving to non-religious organizations that have a written policy of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
The 2016 report showed 407 earned a perfect score, but by 2017 that number grew by 26.5% to 515. I’m hopeful the same pattern will follow and we will see more participation and perfect scores.
The LGBTQ+ community owes a debt of gratitude to corporate America, which is leading the charge toward inclusivity, unlike some leaders on Capitol Hill or state lawmakers. In fact, HRC’s report shows how important our corporate leaders are today in the face of nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ laws and bills being passed and debated in statehouses around the nation. Far too many of our lawmakers have their heads buried in the sand and refuse to acknowledge that we are people and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. This minority refuses to accept the GLAAD report that showed 91% of non-LGBTQ Americans agree that LGBTQ people should have the freedom to live their lives and not be discriminated against.
The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance has some of the biggest names in our industry as partners. On behalf of our more than 4,000 members, I thank them so much for everything they do for the Alliance and the LGBTQ+ community.
