Washington. 29 March 2019. Aerospace and defense companies continue to work toward LGBTQ workplace equality and inclusion, according to the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) issued by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization.
The HRC Foundation has strengthened criteria to meet the needs of LGBTQ workers in the most rigorous scorecard to date. Five hundred and seventy-one companies have been designated a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality for their efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent ranking. Five are aerospace and defense giants.
“The nation’s most prominent aerospace and defense firms recognize that mission readiness requires the full contributions of each team member,” said Beck Bailey, acting director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program. “Ensuring all employees — including LGBTQ workers — can acess LGBTQ-inclusive policies and benefits is a key part of their business model.”
| Employer | Headquarters Location | State | 2019 CEI Rating |
| Airbus Americas Inc. | Herndon | VA | 100 |
| BAE Systems Inc. | Arlington | VA | 85 |
| Boeing Co. | Chicago | IL | 90 |
| General Dynamics Corp. | Falls Church | VA | 75 |
| Harris Corp. | Melbourne | FL | 100 |
| Honeywell International Inc. | Morris Township | NJ | 55 |
| Huntington Ingalls Industries | Newport News | VA | 90 |
| Leidos Holdings | Reston | VA | 85 |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | Bethesda | MD | 100 |
| Northrop Grumman Corp. | Falls Church | VA | 100 |
| Raytheon Co. | Waltham | MA | 90 |
| Rockwell Collins Inc. | Cedar Rapids | IA | 85 |
| Rolls-Royce North America (USA) Holdings Co. | Reston | VA | 100 |
| Spirit AeroSystems Inc. | Wichita | KS | 85 |
| Textron Inc. | Providence | RI | 30 |
| Virgin Orbit | Long Beach | CA | 50 |
HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) is America’s premiere benchmarking tool for LGBTQ workplace equality. The results of this year’s CEI, showcases how hundreds of U.S.-based multinational companies are not only promoting LGBTQ-friendly workplace policies in the U.S., but helping to advance the cause of LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace abroad.
The CEI rates companies and top law firms on detailed criteria in four broad categories:
- Non-discrimination policies
- Employment benefits
- Supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility including public commitment to LGBTQ equality
- Responsible citizenship
