Record participation in HRC’s Corporate Equality Index despite right-wing DEI backlash

Despite several large companies publicly abandoning their diversity, equity and inclusion policies, advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), has seen a record participation in its latest Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which will be published early next year.

HRC president Kelley Robinson made the announcement on CNBC’s Squawk Box, telling host Andrew Ross Sorkin: “We have over 1,400 hundred companies participating, representing over 21 million employees across this country.”

In addition, the HRC Foundation has set up an email inbox, [email protected], for employees at companies that have stepped back from DEI efforts to anonymously share experiences of discrimination and the inclusion policies that still exist.

What is the Corporate Equality Index?

The CEI is a national bench-marking tool that measures policies, practices and benefits affecting LGBTQ+ employees’ experience at work.

Considered a force for driving LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion, the CEI data tells a two-decades story of growth and adoption of policies that show an employer’s commitment to equality.

The CEI will continue to rank every Fortune 500 company, whether or not that business “actively participates” by sharing additional information to increase their score.

In response to several large American companies abandoning DEI programmes, the HRC has introduced significant deductions to their individual CEI scores. Ford, brewers Molson-Coors, Tractor Supply Co, agricultural manufacturers John Deere, home-improvement retailers Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson and Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman all received 25-point deductions to their Responsibility Citizenship Criteria.

Those companies are part of a growing list of American firms abandoning DEI initiatives after a public backlash from conservatives, spearheaded by right-wing pundit Robby Starbuck.

‘We need to tell the full story’

Business leaders retreating from the values of inclusion and equity are making a decision that alienates their queer employees and customers. The queer community brings $1.4 trillion (£1.06 trillion) in spending power, and close to 30 per cent of Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+.

Research has shown that 80 per cent of LGBTQ+ consumers are not only opting to boycott companies that roll back their equality programmes, but more than half will urge others to do the same through social media and negative reviews online.

“We need to tell the full story,” Robinson said. “There are a handful of companies making these poor, short-sighted decisions and it’s our responsibility to hold them accountable.

“What I want to make clear is this is not where the majority of the companies are. It’s not just out of the kindness of their heart, it is because they know this is what their workforce and consumers demand. Bottom line: this is the best thing to do for businesses.”

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