This document discusses the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, Municipal Equality Index, and Healthcare Equality Index which evaluate LGBTQ inclusion and equality. It covers important terms related to gender and sexual orientation. It also discusses the indices' focus on non-discrimination policies, equitable benefits for employees, competency training, and public engagement efforts. The indices are presented as tools to help institutions advance inclusion and overcome legal and social challenges to equality.

1. HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), Municipal
Equality Index (MEI), and Healthcare Equality Index
(HEI):
Understanding the Framework for Equality
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)

2. IMPORTANT TERMS & CONCEPTS
Gender
Stereotypes:
society’s
expectations of
gender roles
Gender
Expression
Transgender
Gender Non-
Conforming
L
S
G
B
Gender Identity
One’s innate, deeply felt psychological identification as male or female
One’s physical and/or
emotional attraction to a person
of the same/different gender
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.
Gender Non-Conforming: Gender non-conforming
refers to individuals whose
gender expression does not conform to
society’s expectations of gender roles
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.
Sexual Orientation

3. STATE NON-DISCRIMINATION LAWS
Public
Housing
SO/ SOGI
Employment
Accommodations
SOGI
SO/ SOGI

4. RELATIONSHIP RECOGNITION

5. LAY OF THE LAND

6. A GRIM LEGAL
LANDSCAPE
Lawrence v. Texas decision had not been
decided by the Supreme Court.
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
No state had same-sex marriage and the
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) went
unchallenged.
LGBT people in the Armed Forces faced
discharges under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell or
had to hide themselves.
Hate crimes on the basis of sexual
orientation and gender identity were not
federally recognized as other hate crimes.
You could be denied a job or fired for your
sexual orientation in 37 states and in 44
because of your gender identity.
family recognition.

7. 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

8. INDICES: A SUSTAINED STRATEGY

9. TRANSFORMING INSTITUTIONS

10. 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

11. FRAMEWORK FOR EQUALITY

12. 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
Equitable Benefits
Competency Best
Practices
Public
Engagement

13. 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)
MEI
CEI
-Patient Non-Discrimination
-EEO/Non-Discrimination
Policies
HEI

14. ACHIEVING WORKPLACE
PROTECTIONS

15. 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)
Non-Discrimination
Competency Best
Practices
Public
Engagement

16. EQUITABLE BENEFITS IN THE INDICES
- 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

17. EQUITABLE BENEFITS

18. “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

19. TRANSGENDER INCLUSIVE BENEFITS

20. TRANSGENDER INCLUSIVE BENEFITS

21. 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
Non-Discrimination
Equitable Benefits
Public
Engagement

22. 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

23. COMPETENCY BEST PRACTICES

24. MUNICIPAL COMPETENCY
• 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.

25. 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
Non-Discrimination
Equitable Benefits
Competency Best
Practices

26. 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
MEI
CEI

27. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

28. EQUALITY IS A JOURNEY
• Building blocks of
equality
• Pitch ready
• Prepared for
challenges
• Have tools (hrc.org)
to overcome them!
Try, try again.

29. HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), Municipal
Equality Index (MEI), and Healthcare Equality Index
(HEI):
Understanding the Framework for Equality
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)