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(Dallas, Texas) For the seventh consecutive year shareholders at ExxonMobil's annual meeting have voted down a proposal to include LGBT workers in the company's anti-discrimination policy.
But despite rejection there is room for some comfort the nation's largest gay rights group says. The number of shareholders supporting the policy change is growing annually.
This year 34.6 percent of shares voted in favor of the policy this year, an increase from 29.4 percent in 2005.
"The long-term energy needs of ExxonMobil customers are in no way served by policies that ignore hard-working gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
ExxonMobil is the only major U.S. company to rescind a non-discrimination policy covering sexual orientation.
LGBT workers had been included in employment policies at Mobil. In December 1999 when Mobil merged with Exxon and under Exxon's direction, the policy was abandoned. At the same time, it closed Mobil's domestic partner benefits program to any more employees.
One of the leading advocates for change has been New York City Employees Retirement Fund.
NYCERS currently holds 11.9 million shares worth approximately $446 million in the company.
New York's pension funds have a long history of activism on behalf of social causes, including gay rights. The funds were part of a decade-long battle to get CBRL Group Inc., the parent company of the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain, to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation. CBRL, which reportedly fired at least 11 gay workers in the 1990s, agreed to change its policy in November 2002 after a resolution garnered 58 percent of the vote.
It also backed a resolution that resulted in J.C. Penney Co. supporting LGBT non discrimination.
BP Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips Corp., Shell Oil Company, Sunoco Inc., Valero Energy Corp., Marathon Oil Corp. and Williams Companies Inc. all have non-discrimination statements inclusive of sexual orientation.
Earlier this month shareholders at two other major corporations that include gay rights in their policies, American Express and Ford, defeated attempts to drop their protections for LGBT workers. In both cases the companies recommended voting down the measures.
Also this month fast food chain Wendy's International has agreed to amend its employment nondiscrimination policy by adding new written protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity for all employees.
©365Gay.com 2006
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