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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2000)
feùruary l û. ?f)ûfl * ¡m at k 'm iM H m q n e w s E xxon Mobil Corp. recently bucked the corporate trend toward inclusivi- ty and nondiscrimination, but how do other oil companies fare when it comes to gay equality? O f the nine companies examined here, three are doing well, but the others still have some work to do. According to most experts, companies can do five things to show support for gay and les bian employees and recognition of gay and les bian consumers: Companies should have a nondiscrimination statement that specifically includes sexual orientation; offer domestic part ner benefits; include gay and lesbian issues in diversity training; contribute to gay, lesbian and AIDS-related charities; and have a gay and les bian employee group. hevron Corp. and Shell O il Co. are the only companies in the industry that gave progressive answers to all five of the bench marking questions asked for this article. San Francisco-based Chevron was the first oil company to offer domestic partner benefits and to have a nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation. The nondiscrimina tion policy took effect in 1993; the benefits were made available in 1997 to same-sex and oppo site-sex partners. Chevron is the nation’s No. 3 integrated oil company, behind Exxon Mobil and Texaco. Chevron runs 8,000 gas stations and employs about 40,000 people. Susan Guerrero, co-chair of the company’s gay and lesbian employee group, says she con siders the company to be gay-friendly, although the atmosphere for gay men and lesbians varies by department. “Within Chevron, the overall company has very open and accepting policies, but that filters down to individual attitudes,” she explains. The company’s charitable donations to gay and lesbian causes are mostly in the San Fran cisco Bay area, where the company is headquar tered. Houston-based Shell Oil, now part of Royal Dutch/Shell Group, has had a nondiscrimina tion policy that includes sexual orientation since 1996. It began offering domestic partner benefits in 1998. Diversity training is still somewhat spotty, but sexual orientation is included when the training is offered, says Rick Schroder, a diversi ty consultant for the company and one of the co-founders of Shell’s gay and lesbian employee group. Shell’s contributions have helped to fund the Lesbian Health Initiative; the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays national orga nization; the Greater Houston Gay and Lesbian C The former Exxon Corp. has long main tained that it does not discriminate based on sexual orientation but has refused to include the phrase in its nondiscrimination policy. The company instead includes only the categories required by federal law. The merger allows former Mobil employees who were already receiving domestic partner benefits to keep them, but it leaves former Exxon employees and former Mobil employees who had not already signed up ineligible for the benefits. While some gay rights activists consider the rescission a slap in the face, Exxon Mobil spokesman Tom Cirigliano sees it differently. “This isn’t a political issue. This isn’t a gay issue. It’s a matter of personal rights,” he says. “We believe that there is only one criterion we can apply throughout the world: Is it a legally recognized partnership?” O f P umps and P olicies Filling the tank with gay-friendly gas w on't make the car run better, but it may pump up your pride by Gip Plaster Chamber of Commerce; and other gay and les bian causes. Shell has participated in Houston’s AIDS Walk and has sponsored gay pride events in Atlanta. In 1998, Shell received a corporate cit izen award from the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay and lesbian political group. “T h e attitude is one inclusion,” Schroder says “Sh ell’s policy is to value all people W e’re making progress that area.” hile not leaders in the industry, Texaco Inc. and Sunoco Inc. have some progres sive policies in place. Texaco, based in W hite Plains, N.Y., is the nation’s No. 2 integrated oil company and sells fuel at 38,000 gas stations worldwide. Its almost 25,000 employees are protected by a nondiscrim ination W T osco Corp., based in Stamford, Conn., is the only company contacted for this article that refused to answer specific questions. Spokeswoman Julie Igo says the company does not discuss human resources policies with any one other than employees. A leader in the oil refining and marketing industry and No. 2 in convenience stores (behind 7-Eleven), Tosco owns Circle K. It operates 2,400 company-controlled gas stations and convenience stores and another 2,600 under license from BP, 76 and Exxon, giving it a presence in 36 states. policy that includes sexual orientation, but domestic partner benefits are not offered. T he 11,000-employee Sunoco operates about 3,700 gas stations in 17 states, mostly in the Northeast, under the Ultra Service Center and APlus names. Sunoco is not a full-service oil company like Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, BP Amoco and Texaco. Instead, the Philadelphia-based compa ny is the nation’s No. 3 refiner and marketer of oil products. Sunoco does not offer domestic partner ben third company that has led the way on gay and lesbian issues is in IT G O Petroleum Corp. and Ultramar Dia transition, but its progressive policies mond Shamrock Corp. do not have good will likely be maintained. news to report on any o f the five benchmarks. The 1999 merger of British Petroleum and C IT G O spokesman Kent Young Am oco created BP notes that the company, which Amoco, a London-based Companies should have a nondiscrimination statement that employees 5,000 people, does not company that is among specifically includes sexual orientation; offer domestic operate any of the stations that bear the top integrated oil its name. All 15,000 of its outlets are companies in the world. partner benefits; include gay and lesbian issues in diversity independently-owned franchises. T he company, which Some 1,900 of those are 7-Eleven owns more than 28,000 training; contribute to gay, lesbian and AIDS-related, stores. service stations world charities; and have a gay and lesbian employee group Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, wide, is also looking to based in San Antonio, Texas, is No. 2 buy the Atlantic Rich efits, says spokeswoman Shannon Breuer, but in the oil refining and marketing business and field Co. the company’s nondiscrimination policy and operates 5,300 gas stations and convenience T he former Am oco’s policies included diversity training include sexual orientation. stores in the United States and Canada under domestic partner benefits and a nondiscrimina the Diamond Shamrock, Total, Ultramar and tion statement that mentions sexual orienta rving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp. strikes Beacon brand names. It employs 24,000 people. tion. The merged company plans to continue out on all five counts. Spokeswoman Jodie Carlson says the compa those policies, according to spokesman Hugh The company, formed by the merger of ny complies with all laws regarding nondiscrim DePland. Exxon and Mobil in November, decided to keep ination, noting that sexual orientation is not a Diversity training that includes gay and les Exxon’s nondiscrimination and benefits policies class protected by law. bian issues is also likely to continue, he adds. rather than adopt Mobil’s practices, which pro Amoco had a gay and lesbian employee tected gay men and lesbians from employment ■ GlP PLASTER is a Texas-based reporter who often group, but attempts to contact the group failed. discrimination and provided domestic partner covers gay and lesbian consumer issues. DePland says he is not sure if it has remained benefits. active since the merger. 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