The Huffington Post and Monster have joined together to honor five companies that are going “above and beyond” in their engagement with the LGBT community. Starbucks, PepsiCo, Barilla, Chevron, and Google were highlighted for their focus on LGBT inclusion, both inside and outside the workplace.
Barilla was named as the “Most Improved Player,” following their quick turnaround after the company’s chairman remarked that advertising ought to feature “traditional” families, rather than those headed by same-sex couples. The chair, Guido Barilla, apologized twice for his remarks, and the company created more-inclusive corporate policy and appointed their first Chief Diversity Officer.
Google was spotlighted as being “All-Around Awesome” for its consistent support for marriage equality, LGBT-inclusive advertising and communications, and outstanding internal policies around LGBT issues. Chevron was honored for going above and beyond in an energy industry that typically lags when it comes to LGBT inclusion.