The holiday season—time to relax, reflect…and shop! Gift giving is even better when your purchases support companies that walk the walk.
GETTING THERE
If you’ve got to go out of town for your merrymaking, you’re in luck. Most major airlines rate within the 20th percentile on the Index: American, United, Continental, JetBlue, Delta, and Southwest top the list.
American Airlines is one of only nine companies to have a perfect score since the Index was established. PFLAG Executive Director Jody Huckaby has said that AA “really models the values and commitment to the LGBT community,” and that AA’s commitment to “practicing what they preach” caused PFLAG to make AA their official airline. It has even created its own “It Gets Better” video.
If you want to avoid the hassle of booking your flights, Orbitz is the top-rated travel site as another 100-percenter and recent Corporate Equality Award winner. Their LGBT-inclusive ads have made waves, prompting a self-proclaimed “church lady,” mother of two, and teacher to write Orbitz to say “THANK YOU for your brave and funny ads,” adding that she was “thrilled the decision-makers at Orbitz see the value of inclusion.” Double-book your advocacy by selecting top airlines in their advanced-search feature.
Gonna drive there? you’ll need gas. There’s a huge equality gap between the major oil and gas companies (some are real Scrooges). our picks, Chevron and Shell, each rate 100 on the Equality Index.
BEST OF THE BEST
Give the very best from companies that do the very best on the Corporate Equality Index. our top picks:
Levi-Strauss and the Gap family of brands, each a perfect 100 on the Index, carry a range of styles and sizes for everyone in your born and chosen family. They also encompass labels at every price point. Levi’s was one of the first Fortune 500 companies to provide domestic-partner benefits for employees and considers itself to be “dedicated advocates of equal rights for all.”
The Limited brand umbrella includes Bath and Body Works and C.o. Bigelow for classic perfume-and-powder gifting.
Target, JC Penney, and Sears carry in-store brands that cover everything from the practical gifts (socks and appliances) to jewelry and gourmet chocolates. Macy’s and nordstrom are also top-ranked.
For your favorite bookworms, Barnes & Noble and Amazon are bestsellers, while Apple, Best Buy, and local giant Dell are tops for tech gifts. (Apple’s also had a perfect 10-year score.)
PLASTIC PRIDE
Whether it’s credit or cold hard cash, several financial service companies ranked highly on the Index. your advocacy credit score will rise most with American Express (a perfect score), but MasterCard and VISA each scored in the top ranks as well.
SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED
Shipping gifts to the folks you love? your best bet is UPS, the only major shipper to rank highly on the Index. The company maintains that its inclusion philosophy extends “beyond race and gender.” recent official statements explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity as well. Make sure your package is properly packed with supplies from top-rated (and local!) office materials manufacturer 3M, and pick up those supplies at Best Places to Work honorees office Depot or Staples.
PICTURE PERFECT
Whether analog or digital, pictures of your holiday season are best taken with Kodak, the only major photography brand to be included in the survey—and the only one recognized as a best place to work.
