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UPS Delivers Inclusion to the LGBT Community

March 11th, 2008 By Laura

What can brown do for queers? Atlanta’s own UPS announced today that it has added lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)-owned businesses to its supplier diversity process. As an added bonus, LGBT-owned businesses can also take advantage of discounted shipping services. The package delivery giant made the move in partnership with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). The company’s supplier diversity process was started in 1992 in an effort to expand business opportunities for small businesses and those owned by minorities, women, veterans and now lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

UPS Truck Delivers in Atlanta“Partnering with the NGLCC not only helps LGBT businesses grow by conducting business with UPS, but we also gain access to excellent suppliers,” said Lisa Johnson, UPS’s procurement and supplier diversity manager, in a company press release. “Expanding our process to include LGBT-owned businesses reinforces our commitment to supplier diversity.”

To participate in UPS’s supplier diversity process, queer-owned businesses must be certified by the NGLCC. The NGLCC is the largest LGBT business development and economic advocacy organization in the country, with an affiliate network of 45 state and local gay chambers and other business organizations. The NGLCC estimates that there are an estimated 1.4 million LGBT-owned businesses in the United States.

UPS also delivers equality to its queer employees. The company received a top rating of 100 percent, the highest in its industry, from the Human Rights Campaign’s 2008 Corporate Equality Index, which measures how LGBT employees are treated based on factors such as non-discrimination policies, diversity training, and benefits for domestic partners and transgender employees.

LGBT-owned companies interested in obtaining NGLCC certification can begin the process at www.nglcc.org. There’s more information about UPS’s supplier diversity process at community.ups.com.

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Buy for Equality this Holiday Season

December 7th, 2007 By Laura

Just in time for your holiday shopping, the Human Rights Campaign has released its 2008 guide to gay-friendly businesses. Buy for Equality 2008 is designed to help LGBT shoppers direct their queer dollars to queer-supportive businesses. Directing your spending toward tolerant companies helps put your money where your rights are.

Buying for Equality 2008 by HRCThe guide rates businesses based on the HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality index, an annual report card that rates corporations based on an analysis of their employment policies and business practices as they affect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors.

Buying for Equality 2008 covers more than retailers. It offers suggestions on where to gas up your car, what bank should have your money, even which pharmaceutical company manufactures the gay-friendliest medications. In addition to ratings for major retailers, there are listings of individual products.

So, for example, you will know that you should drive past the Wal-Mart (score: 40) and stop at the K-Mart instead (score: a perfect 100). If you need to stop for gas on the way, pull in at the BP or Shell stations (score: 100) rather than Exxon (score: 0). While at the K-Mart, you might want to get your nephew a Ken doll for Christmas (Mattel score: 88) rather than G.I. Joe (Hasbro score: 50). There’s no advice on what to do about Chinese lead paint, however.

In addition to HRC’s guide, I would offer a supplemental suggestion: to shop independent gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses as well. The mega-corporations have an edge in marketing, perhaps. But there’s no better way to support your community than to support the people close to home.

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