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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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