Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) officials and local volunteers and supporters gathered at the downtown Chicago law offices of Baker McKenzie to pay tribute to area firms that earned perfect scores on the organization's corporate index
The index, which was launched in 2002, measures a company's "policy, practice and benefits relative to LGBTQ inclusion," said Beck Bailey, HRC's Washington, D.C.-based deputy director of employment engagement, who added that the index's criteria allow for "a foundation for a company to build an inclusive culture upon."
Bailey added that "business has jumped into this conversation, noting that just 13 companies earned perfect scores on the index in 2002. This year, some 570 companies will have that distinction.
"Companies are a very loud and important voice to our lawmakers, and what we need for a thriving economy," Bailey said.
Among local 2019 honorees who had earned a perfect score before, in at least one previous year, were Abbvie, AON, Braille, BMO Harris Bank, CDW, CNA, Discover, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Illinois, Hyatt, Kirkland & Ellis, McDonald's, MillerCoors, Morningstar, Northern Trust, State Farm Insurance, United Airlines and Walgreens.
Local firms being honored for the first time included CME Group, Cushman & Wakefield, Kraft Heinz, Mesirov Financial, Motorola Solutions, Perkins & Will, RSM, TransUnion, U.S. Cellular and ZS Associates.