Out Leadership, the premier global network for LGBT+ business leaders and companies investing in equality, today unveiled the second wave of CEO Business Briefs for the 50 U.S. States. The CEO Business Briefs, based on Out Leadership’s LGBT+ Business Climate Index, equip business and state leaders with a clear sense of the most impactful steps states can take to make themselves more hospitable to forward-thinking, innovative, inclusive businesses. CEO Business Briefs are today available for business leaders in Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusets, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming.
The final 15 state briefs will be released in coming weeks.
The CEO Business Briefs use eye-opening data from Out Leadership’s LGBT+ Business Climate Index, the first index of its kind, which measures the impact government policies and prevalent attitudes have on the LGBT+ people residing in each state, quantifying the economic imperatives for inclusion and the costs of discrimination.
View and download the full LGBT+ Business Climate Index report here.
“Supporting LGBT+ employees isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s better for a company’s bottom line,” said Out Leadership Founder & Principal Todd Sears. “States that have comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people are better for business, plain and simple. CEOs must do their part by making sure all employees are protected inside and outside the workplace. By equipping business leaders with the data they need to make more informed decisions about where to operate, Out Leadership’s CEO Business Briefs will help remind local lawmakers that equality is essential to growing their state’s economy.”
“At Pfizer, we believe everyone should be able to bring their full selves to work without fear of discrimination in the places we operate,” said Sally Susman, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer. “Out Leadership’s LGBT+ Business Climate Index is an invaluable resource that will help corporate leaders better protect all employees, no matter who they are or who they love.”
Out Leadership’s LGBT+ Business Climate Index gives each state a score out of 100 points, based on 20 carefully selected and nuanced markers assessing LGBT+ people’s lived experiences. It groups these markers into 5 broader categories. Generally, the markers assess:
Legal and Nondiscrimination Protections
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How difficult is it to change a gender marker on a birth certificate?
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How difficult is it to change a gender marker on a driver’s license?
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Does the state have any employment nondiscrimination policies for LGBT+ people?
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Do any other nondiscrimination policies in the state apply to LGBT+ people?
Youth and Family Support
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How supportive is the state of LGBT+ people who are in or want to start families?
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What resources are available to LGBT+ children and youth in the state?
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Is conversion therapy banned for minors?
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Can educators discuss LGBT+ issues and identities in schools?
Political & Religious Attitudes
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Has the governor recently spoken or campaigned against LGBT+ issues?
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Has the junior Senator recently spoken or campaigned against LGBT+ issues?
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Has the senior Senator recently spoken or campaigned against LGBT+ issues?
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To what extent does the state allow for religious exemptions from its laws?
Health Access and Safety
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Do LGBT+ people, particularly the most vulnerable and economically precarious, have access to health care and insurance?
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Do state employees receive transgender-inclusive health benefits?
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Are LGBT+ people protected by any hate crimes laws in the state?
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Is exposure of others to and transmission of HIV criminalized?
Work Environment and Employment
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At what rate are transgender people subjected to harassment at work?
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What percentage of LGBT+ people are unemployed, and how does it compare to the unemployment rate of non-LGBT+ people in the state?
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What percentage of LGBT+ people experience food insecurity, and how does it compare to the unemployment rate of non-LGBT+ people in the state?
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What percentage of LGBT+ people have an annual income below $24,000 (approximately the federal poverty line)?
The Index was funded by the Gill Foundation, as part of its support of Out Leadership’s CEO Business Briefs for the 50 U.S. States; it is based on data generously provided by Out Leadership’s partners at the Williams Institute, the United States Transgender Survey, and the Movement Advancement Project.
About Out Leadership
Out Leadership is the global LGBT+ business network CEOs and multinational companies trust to generate Return on Equality®. We create global executive events and insights that help leaders realize the economic growth and talent dividend derived from inclusive business, and convene groundbreaking talent accelerators: OutNEXT, the first global leadership development program for the next generation of LGBT+ talent; Quorum, which seeks to advance LGBT+ diversity in corporate governance; and OutWOMEN, which convenes and celebrates LGBT+ women in business. Out Leadership is a certified B Corp. For more information, please visit www.outleadership.com