The Southern Poverty Law Center labeled the American Family Association, formerly the National Federation of Decency, a hate group based on its propaganda demonizing gays.
While Ford sustained criticism from the American Family Association, which owns Christian radio stations nationwide and was led by American Family Radio host Donald Wildmon, the group has also protested American Girl dolls, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Walt Disney, Old Navy, McDonald’s, Hallmark, Microsoft, Carl's Jr. She praised the auto industry’s performance and said, “Any discrimination is repulsive.” Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book, noted that she grew up in a “very, very religious, strong Christian home” and simply cannot understand hostility based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Not too long ago, Ford was the target of a two-year boycott by a Tupelo, Miss.-based family values group advocating biblical decency in response to the automaker's support of gay rights that included advertising directed at gay consumers.The protest ended in 2008. Kelly Tolbert, head of diversity at Fiat Chrysler, said, “Our consistent record of providing an inclusive work culture and benefit parity for our LGBTQ employees represents our core belief in the talents and potential of our people.” “Toyota partners with, and invests in a variety of organizations to help build positive, affirmative environments in which the diverse members of our communities, including LGBTQ, can live and make stronger contributions towards an ever-better society for all,” the company said in a statement. Perfect scores in the detailed 133-page report designate a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ employees. Of nearly 1,000 employers rated, 609 businesses scored 100% - up 18% from 517 in the 2017 report and the strongest compliance since the survey began 16 years ago. “That’s why we continue to see leadership across the sector.” “In the highly competitive automotive industry, employers know that innovation is spurred by a diverse and inclusive workforce,” said Beck Bailey, deputy director of the organization’s Workplace Equality Program.
The evaluation, administered annually by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, is considered a benchmark analysis of corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality.
The Detroit Three auto companies and their competitors now rank with Silicon Valley tech leaders in their very public embrace of gay employees, a position that Apple CEO Tim Cook has said is essential to recruiting top talent.Īpple and Amazon are accompanied by Ford, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Tesla, Volkswagen and Subaru in earning a perfect score on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index.