GAYS GAIN MORE SUPPORT.

Byline: GREG HERNANDEZ Staff Writer

Corporate America is becoming a far more welcoming place to its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees and consumers, according to the annual Corporate Equality Index released Tuesday by the Human Rights Campaign.

An unprecedented 138 major U.S. companies scored a top ranking of 100 in 2006, up from 101 companies last year. In the past four years, the number of perfect scores has grown tenfold as more companies enact anti-discrimination policies, provide same-sex domestic partner benefits and engage in philanthropic or marketing activities directed toward the the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

In the Los Angeles area, aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman Corp. was alone in achieving a perfect score of 100.

Sandra Evers-Manly, the company's vice president of ethics and diversity said Northrop, which has 27,000 employees in Southern California, has anti-discrimination policies in place that encompass sexual orientation and gender identity. It also offers same-sex domestic partner benefits, has a GLBT network group, recognizes gay pride month in June and supports GLBT organizations on the local and national level.

``We're very proud of the rating,'' Evers-Manly said. ``It's a significant achievement and we want to continue to build an even greater diverse and inclusive workforce and recognize the difference of all people.''

Other Los Angeles-area companies to score well were Hilton Hotels Corp. and The Walt Disney Co., which both achieved near-perfect scores of 95, with Health Net Inc. close behind at 93.

``In terms of domestic partner coverage, we've been offering that for many, many years because that's what our customers want,'' said David Olson, senior vice president of corporate communications for Health Net.

Amgen Inc. had a solid score of 85, Countrywide Financial Corp. an 80.

In a statement, Amgen said: ``We're appreciative of the HRC's effort to raise visibility around ensuring inclusiveness of the GLBT community and here at Amgen, we are always working to provide a diverse and inclusive environment for all of our staff.''

KB Home, which received the lowest Los Angeles area score with 15, was stunned by its ranking since it offers domestic partner benefits and has anti-discrimination training and policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity.

``KB Home is an equal opportunity employer,'' company spokeswoman Caroline Shaw said. ``(The ranking) is unjustified given that the company doesn't discriminate and we have equal opportunity policies in place across the board.''

Shaw added that KB Home also requires its vendors, subcontractors, business partners and service providers to also adhere by its anti-discrimination policies.

The HRC analysis covered 446 companies in all and included surveys from Fortune 1,000, Standard & Poor's 500, Forbes' list of the 200 largest firms that are privately held, the American Lawyer 100 plus any other company with 500 employees or more that requested a rating.

``I am incredibly encouraged and optimistic about the findings in the report,'' said HRC President Joe Solmonese. ``Companies are not only working to improve their scores, they are actively competing to be the most inclusive and fair-minded in their industry.''

Solmonese said the results ``send a clear message that corporate America is rapidly becoming a place of fairness for GLBT Americans.''

But three companies received a score of zero in the rankings: oil giant ExxonMobil, grocery chain Meijer Inc. and the high-tech consulting firm Perot Systems. The HRC said none of these companies offers even the most minimal benefits or protections for the GLBT community.

``CEOs are very much aware of their score and its impact on their business,'' Solmonese said. ``They know that a top score means a healthier work environment, greater productivity, and the ability to recruit top talent. They also know that a bad score will hurt their bottom line.''

greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com

[phone]

Top scorers in L.A. area

Here is how Los Angeles area companies in the Fortune 1,000 rank within the state of California as far as being gay friendly to their employees and to consumers, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The highest score possible for a company is 100.

27. Northrop Grumman Corp.: 100

36. Hilton Hotels Corp.: 95

39. The Walt Disney Co.: 95

40. Health Net Inc.: 93

45. Amgen Inc.: 85

48: Countrywide Financial Corp.: 80

61. Dole Food Co. Inc.: 60

67. KB Homes: 15

Source: Human Rights Campaign

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

Top scorers in L.A. area (see text)