Exxon Makes Gay History

Exxon Mobile has received the first-ever negative score on the HRC's annual Corporate Equality Index. Dallas Voice reports:

Exxon Mobil failed to meet any of the criteria for the 2012 Index, and had points deducted for engaging in activities that undermine LGBT equality. As a result, the company received a score of minus-25 from HRC. Before Exxon and Mobil merged in 1999, Mobil offered domestic partnership benefits and had an employment nondiscrimination policy that included sexual orientation. However, ExxonMobil did away with both the benefits and the policy after the merger, and has repeatedly resisted shareholder efforts to amend the policy to protect gay employees. The 2012 Index marks the first year HRC has handed out negative scores, and Exxon Mobil was the only company to receive one.

In better news, far more companies received a perfect 100% than in years past. Their corporate ranking report is considered by many to be the most useful product of the Human Rights Campaign.