LGBT-friendly corporations revealed

IBM and Google top the list

IBM tops the list of the most inclusive organizations for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, according to the International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (IGLCC).

IGLCC, based in Montreal, released the second edition of its International Business Equality Index, which measures the performance of multinational corporations in relation to diversity and inclusion issues, specifically regarding LGBT communities. It is an indicator of the diversity leadership taken by global corporations in the local communities in which they serve.

Google, BT Group, Morgan Stanley and Cisco Systems round out the rest of the top five. Except for Google and Morgan Stanley, which were new to the index this year, all of this year's top five corporations were also in the top five last year.

"On behalf of IBMers worldwide and our LGBT communities, IBM is extremely proud to receive this recognition from the International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce," said Frank Kern, senior vice-president of global business services at IBM.

"IBM's heritage on diversity spans nearly 100 years, and we're as committed today as at any point in our history to continuously evolving our innovative global workplace policies and practices."

This year, 25 global corporations employing more than 2.2 million people in 220 countries participated in the survey, compared to 15 corporations last year.

The enthusiastic participation of so many firms in the 2010 index is an indication of the increasing role global corporations are playing in introducing and championing diversity wherever they have a presence, said Pascal Lépine, founding president and secretary general at IGLCC.

“International business has an immeasurably important role to play in developing tolerance and diversity throughout the world,” said Lépine. “Not only do diversity programs such as those measured by the International Index contribute to the communities, but they are good for business and help ensure that every employee is as productive as he or she can be.”

LGBT-friendly corporations

1. IBM

2. Google

3. BT

4. Morgan Stanley

5. Cisco Systems

6. Continental Airlines

7. Merck

8. UBS AG

9. The Dow Chemical Company

10. TD Bank Financial Group

11. American Airlines

12. Cummins, Inc.

13. Credit Suisse

14. Philips

15. Royal Dutch Shell

16. Lenovo Group

17. Deutsche Bank

18. TNT

19. Deutsche Post DHL

20. LAN Airlines

21. ING

22. Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd.

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