Guide

Evangelical and atheist numbers are growing while the moderate religious middle is disappearing. America is polarizing, and it seems LGBT+ rights are at the current dividing core.

As you have surely seen, Evangelicals are quick to support those businesses in the news who openly display their bigotry and illegal discrimination of LGBT+ individuals while boycotting those who support inclusivity. We’ve seen that with support for Chick-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby. They boycotted Coke when it began LGBT+ sensitivity training for employees, or more recently, Bud Light after it sent a trans podcaster a fun publicity can. Now even Target is a target.

We can do the same. Hopefully, you already consider boycotting businesses in the news for promoting bigotry. But there are more we don’t hear about. How do we know who they are?

Likewise, hopefully you want to support decent companies who have excellent inclusivity records, but you may not know who they are, either. The question is: How do we find supportive and non-supportive companies?

What you might not know is that a directory for this exists. It does. And it’s easy to check before you shop for clothes, book a flight, switch your insurance carrier, buy a box of spaghetti, or spend your dollars anywhere.

By the way, you might also want to check this guide to view a particular company’s ratings before you apply for employment with them. Just a heads-up, right?

One such guide stands out. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) gives major companies annual scores based on a variety of factors, such as serving and hiring LGBT+, having job security or sensitivity training for employees and other important features important to everyone’s civil rights. Companies are rated from 100% down to 0%. (Yes, they even name the baddies.) It is very well researched, documented, objective, and readily available online.

For your little activism this month, I’m asking you to take a look at this popular shopping guide, then keep the link to the guide handy for future reference.

You can look through the categories, such as: Apparel, Auto, Home, Insurance, Banking, Restaurants, Travel, Pets, Technology, Retail, Food, and many more.

Let me show you a few companies with consistent 100% ratings (the higher the rating, the more programs for LGBT+ the company has in place): Airbnb, Apple, Coke, Door Dash, Gap, Hershey, H&R Block, Lowe’s, Lyft, PG&E, Rolls-Royce USA (I would not have guessed that one), SherwinWilliams, Wayfair, and more.

Find the most Recent Company Ratings (alphabetical) here: www.hrc.org/resources/corporate-equalityindex

Or search for a company’s ratings and details here: www.hrc.org/cei/search

You can take a look online or download a copy. There is even an app for your cell phone to check while you’re out shopping.

Even if it’s just $4 in the coffers of an inclusive spaghetti brand, it’s your little activism - your little part of the puzzle that was missing until today’s pasta purchase. Thanks for considering it.

“Little Activisms” encourages readers to consider small changes we can make to help social causes, and to feel good about ourselves for taking small risks. Judy Saint is President of the Greater Sacramento Chapter of Freedom From Religion Foundation and author of The Pleasant Atheist Adult Coloring Book available on Amazon.