Deena Fidas, Director Workplace Equality Program (CEI Author) Cathryn Oakley, Legislative Counsel, State and Municipal Advocacy (MEI

Author)Tari Hanneman, Assoc. Director, Health & Aging Program (HEI Author)

HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), Municipal Equality Index (MEI), and Healthcare

Equality Index (HEI):Understanding the Framework for Equality

IMPORTANT TERMS & CONCEPTSGender

Stereotypes: society’s expectations of gender

roles

Gender Expressi

on Gender Non-Conforming

TransgenderL

S

G

B

Gender IdentityOne’s innate, deeply felt psychological identification as male or female

Gender Expression: all of the external characteristics and behaviors that are socially

defined as being either masculine or feminine. Ex:

dress, grooming, mannerisms, speech patterns and social

interactions.

Gender Non-Conforming: Gender non-conforming refers to individuals whose gender expression does not conform to society’s expectations of gender roles

Transgender: a person’s whose gender identity is inconsistent

with the person’s body or assigned sex at birth. A

transgender person may or may not change his or her physical or legal sex to conform with his or

her identity.

One’s physical and/or emotional attraction to a

person of the same/different gender

Sexual Orientation

STATE NON-DISCRIMINATION LAWS

Employment

SO/SOGI

HousingSO/ SOGI

Public Accommodati

onsSO/ SOGI

RELATIONSHIP RECOGNITION

LAY OF THE LAND

A GRIM LEGAL LANDSCAPE

In 2002, LGBT people in the United States faced tremendous barriers to legal protections, from

issues of physical safety to workplace

discrimination as well as relationship and family

recognition.

Lawrence v. Texas decision had not been decided by the Supreme Court.

No state had same-sex marriage and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) went unchallenged.

You could be denied a job or fired for your sexual orientation in 37 states and in 44 because of your gender identity.

Hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity were not federally recognized as other hate crimes.

LGBT people in the Armed Forces faced discharges under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell or had to hide themselves.

Corporate Equality Index: Transforming Workplaces

- National Scorecard for LGBT Equality

- Transparent, Fair and Attainable

Equality Principles,

0-100% Scores Workplace Protections

Benefits Employee Resource

Groups Diversity Training External

Engagement

INDICES: A SUSTAINED STRATEGY

TRANSFORMING INSTITUTIONS

THE CASE FOR INCLUSION

“If employees cannot bring their full selves to work, and if employees live in fear of being treated differently simply based on who they are, it comes at a cost to the company.”

Ken Charles, VP, General Mills testifying on ENDA 2012

FRAMEWORK FOR EQUALITY

Non-Discrimination

Competency Best Practices

Equitable Benefits

Public Engagement

NON-DISCRIMINATION

• Affording equal opportunity • Necessary for talent acquisition and retention and

broader economic growth• Keeping apace with changing legal and public opinion

landscapes• Minimal upfront cost • Rates of litigation consistent with other protected

classes

Non-Discrimination

Equitable Benefits

Competency Best Practices

Public Engagement

NON-DISCRIMINATION IN THE INDICES

- Non-Discrimination Ordinances and Laws*- Non-Discrimination Policies for City Employees- Non-Discrimination Policies for City Contractors*- Anti-Bullying Laws*

- EEO/Non-Discrimination Policies (US; Global 2016)

- Vendor and Corporate Giving Standards (2016)

MEICEI

Non-Discrimination

-Patient Non-Discrimination-EEO/Non-Discrimination Policies

HEI

ACHIEVING WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS

EQUITABLE BENEFITS

• Equal compensation for equal work• Necessary for talent acquisition and retention and

broader economic growth• Keeping apace with changing legal landscape and

workforce expectations• Minimal upfront cost (on average 1% increase for

corporate employers’ overall health insurance costs)

Equitable Benefits

Non-Discrimination

Competency Best Practices

Public Engagement

Equitable Benefits

EQUITABLE BENEFITS IN THE INDICES

Equitable Benefits

- Partner Health Benefits

- Partner “Soft Benefits”- Retirement*- Leave- Discounts*

- Transgender Inclusive Benefits

CEI

- Relationship Recognition*- Benefits for City Employees, including:

- family leave- legal dependent

benefits, - trans-inclusive

health benefits, and - grossing up

- Contractor Benefits*

MEI

EQUITABLE BENEFITS

“SOFT” BENEFITS

Parity Across Full Suite of Benefits:

• Family and Bereavement Leave • Adoption Benefits• Employee Discounts*• Retirement Benefits *

• Classic Pensions• 401(k)• Cash Balance Plans• PPA 2011: Non-Spouse

Beneficiary Designation

TRANSGENDER INCLUSIVE BENEFITS

TRANSGENDER INCLUSIVE BENEFITS

COMPETENCY BEST PRACTICES

• Policy does not equal practice • Despite progress, 53% of LGBT workers nationwide remain

closeted on the job; vulnerable populations• Invisible diversity requires unique training focus and defined

safe space programs and resources • Senior level buy-in and accountability metrics • Retaining workers is largely about everyday experiences on

the job

Competency Best Practices

Non-Discrimination

Equitable Benefits

Public Engagement

Competency Best Practices

COMPETENCY PRACTICES IN THE INDICES

Competency Best Practices

- Workplace Culture,-Human Relations Commissions- LGBT Liaisons (Police, Mayor’s office)- Hate Crimes-City Services for Vulnerable Populations

MEI

- New Hire, Manager and Integrated Trainings

- Voluntary Self ID*

- Senior Leader Performance Metrics*

- Employee Groups

CEI

- Training provided to staff in LGBT Patient-Centered Care

HEI

COMPETENCY BEST PRACTICES

• Cities that have LGBT liaisons in their police department significantly outperformed the national average.

• 95% of all 2013 cities with liaisons reported hate crimes statistics including sexual orientation motivated crimes to the FBI, compared to 72% of 2013 rated cities without liaisons.

MUNICIPAL COMPETENCY

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT• Corporate case for LGBT legal

equality: right side of history and eliminating barriers to investment

• Corporate reputational benefit to supporting equality groups and programs; small business investment

• Important to communicate pro-equality messages to youth; Communities at risk of losing millennials

• LGBT support is seen as a bellwether for broader issues of diversity and inclusion

Public Engagement

Non-Discrimination

Equitable Benefits

Competency Best Practices

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE INDICES

- Leadership’s Public Position on Equality- Recent Local Legislative Efforts- LGBT Visibility*

- Philanthropic Support, Sponsorship*

- Supplier Diversity*

- Marketing- Recruitment- Support for

Equality Under the Law MEICEI

Public Engagement

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

EQUALITY IS A JOURNEY• Building blocks of

equality• Pitch ready• Prepared for

challenges• Have tools

(hrc.org) to overcome them! Try, try again.

Deena Fidas, Director Workplace Equality Program (CEI Author) Cathryn Oakley, Legislative Counsel, State and Municipal Advocacy (MEI

Author)Tari Hanneman, Assoc. Director, Health & Aging Program (HEI Author)

HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), Municipal Equality Index (MEI), and Healthcare

Equality Index (HEI):Understanding the Framework for Equality