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| Home Depot recently became a sponsor of the Atlanta Executive Network, a gay
business group. The Atlanta-based Fortune 500 company includes sexual orientation
in its non-discrimination policy, but does not offer domestic partner benefits.
(Photo by AP)
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: DYANA BAGBY
COMMENTS |
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When Ronald Moore moved to Atlanta a decade ago to take over as site manager
for Hewlett-Packard, he remained in the closet at work until he ran into a
co-worker at a gay bar.
“I sat down with him and said I guess this would eventually happen. He told
me he’d seen me there already a couple months ago and people at work already
knew,” Moore said.
So Moore, an African American, came out to his supervisor. The person had
no issues with his employee’s sexual orientation, which empowered Moore to
become active in Atlanta gay rights groups. He is now business diversity director
for Hewlett-Packard as well as a past-president of the Atlanta Executive Network,
a gay business organization.
Moore said he hadn’t come out earlier in his 25-year career with the company
because he was unsure of the consequences, especially as a person of color.
“ I already had to deal with that issue — why add one more to it,” he said.
But the face of corporate America is changing to recognize that all kinds
of employees, including gay men and lesbians, are key to a company’s success — and
bottom line. More and more major companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, include
sexual orientation in non-discrimination statements and offer domestic partner
benefits.
“Where I think we are at in corporate America is that diversity is a business
objective, not just a social objective,” Moore said. “This includes diversity
in thinking styles, age, ethnicity, religion. A company wants to retain a person
with the best ideas regardless of the package the ideas come in.”
On Aug. 19, AEN will sponsor a Corporate Diversity Panel. Scheduled participants
include BellSouth’s chief diversity officer, Valencia Adams; Beth Johnston,
Delta Air Lines’ vice president of human resources-field operations; Claudia
Woody, vice president of global services for IBM; and Gloria Johnson-Goins,
vice president for diversity and inclusion at Home Depot USA.
“It’s important for people to come hear this panel and ask questions — we
don’t always get this kind of chance,” said AEN Executive Director Glen Paul
Freedman. “It is so important that more companies are adding sexual orientation
into their policies … This says that companies recognize you and value you
as an employee and are willing to go on the record stating that.
“Do we still have a long way to go?” Freedman asked. “Absolutely. Our responsibility
is to educate and everyday we are moving forward.”
Just three years ago, Atlanta-based Home Depot drew strong criticism from local
gay rights activists for refusing to include sexual orientation in its non-discrimination
statement.
In May 2001, the company so popular with gay shoppers finally relented and
began officially protecting gay and lesbian employees from discrimination.
Now, on the heels of Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli’s $25,000 contribution
to the Republican National Committee and his recent multi-million dollar fund-raiser
featuring President Bush at his Buckhead residence, the nation’s largest home
improvement chain has partnered for the first time with a gay organization.
In late July, the Fortune 500 company became a Bronze Partner, which includes
a donation between $1,000 to $5,000 to AEN, and plans to be a 2005 partner
as well.
“I’m very excited about this,” Freedman said. “This is the first time Home
Depot USA has partnered with [any] gay and lesbian organization. We’re honored
AEN is the first and we know there will be others to follow.”
Since 2002, the Human Rights Campaign has rated companies through its Corporate
Equality Index, which awards points based on policies such as domestic partner
benefits and whether non-discrimination statements include sexual orientation
and gender identity.
In tentative 2004 ratings, Home Depot scored 57 out of 100 — the lowest of
the four companies participating in the AEN panel. IBM scored a perfect 100,
while BellSouth and Delta Air Lines both received scores of 86.
Home Depot is also the only company represented on AEN’s diversity panel that
does not offer domestic partner benefits to gay employees.
Asked repeatedly to comment on why the company is partnering with AEN, Home
Depot officials eventually declined.
Freedman said he understands Home Depot has had its share of problems on gay
issues, but the partnership with AEN proves the company is moving forward.
“They are making some major changes … they’re progressing,” he said. “They’re
on the right track and any company on that track is listening to its employees
and proves they value their employees.”
In its 2001 proxy detailing business to be conducted at its annual meeting
in Atlanta, Home Depot included a stockholder proposal to amend the firm’s
equal ...
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