Melissa Ross
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization is out with its 2016 Corporate Equality Index, an annual report assessing LGBT inclusion in major companies and law firms across the nation, including 21 in Florida.
In an email to media outlets, the HRC champions that “Corporate America, propelled by HRC and its foundation’s annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI), has led the way on LGBT inclusion for more than a decade.”
407 businesses have earned a top score of 100 percent on Index and the distinction of “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.”
That record number of perfect scores was achieved, according to the HRC, despite demanding new criteria requiring that companies with global operations extend nondiscrimination protections for their LGBT workers worldwide.
The average score for companies and law firms based in Florida is 87 percent. Of the 21 companies ranked, 9 earned 100 percent, 1 earned 90 percent or above, and 7 earned 80 percent or above.
Here’s the Florida list.
| Employer Name | 2015 CEI Rating |
| Akerman LLP | 100 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida Inc. | 100 |
| Carlton Fields Jorden Burt | 100 |
| Darden Restaurants Inc. | 100 |
| Harris Corp. | 100 |
| Holland & Knight LLP | 100 |
| Office Depot Inc. | 100 |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 100 |
| Tech Data Corp. | 100 |
| Jarden Corp. | 90 |
| Adecco North America LLC | 85 |
| Burger King Corp. | 85 |
| Carnival Corp. | 85 |
| HSN Inc. | 85 |
| Raymond James Financial Inc. | 85 |
| Ryder System Inc. | 85 |
| Ultimate Software Group Inc., The | 80 |
| CSX Corp. | 75 |
| Bloomin’ Brands Inc. | 65 |
| NextEra Energy Inc. | 60 |
| Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. | 40 |
“Corporate America has long been a leader on LGBT equality, from advocating for marriage equality to expanding essential benefits to transgender employees,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “But this year, many leading U.S. companies have broken new ground by expanding explicit nondiscrimination protections to their LGBT workers around the globe. They’ve shown the world that LGBT equality isn’t an issue that stops at our own borders, but extends internationally.”
Despite this progress and a new global commitment, there is much work left to be done in places and in companies where LGBT workers still face significant obstacles.
“While support for LGBT workers is growing in the U.S. and around the world, too many companies still fail to guarantee basic, vital workplace protections that allow employees to bring their full selves to work,” Griffin said. “That continues to create barriers for LGBT people, especially for transgender people, who face high rates of unemployment and discrimination in hiring. These companies should look to the example set by global corporate leaders as a path forward to achieving LGBT equality for all workers, no matter where they live.”
The release comes just as Jacksonville embarks on a series of “community conversations” on whether to expand the city’s human rights ordinance to cover LGBT citizens.
