Work in progress: business is definitely looking up as more companies line up to give LGBT workers their due.

"ARE YOU OUT AT WORK?" Our answers vary wildly depending on where we live and what we do. A majority of us work in offices where we're at least comfortable enough to say, "My partner took the dog to the vet this morning." Of course, much as we'd like to forget it, such casual comments may put us in legal jeopardy. We can still be fired in 31 states just for being queer, and bonding over Rover's sprained paw doesn't do a thing to change that. (At press time, odds are good that the House of Representatives will pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act very soon. Passage in the Senate is a lot dicier, in case you're in a letter-writing mood.)

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But here's the good news: However backward our government, cluelessness about LGBT people and their rights is passe in corporate boardrooms. That's never been more apparent than in this 2007 edition of our annual Best Companies issue. Taking our cue from the Human Rights Campaign, which yearly rates the gay-friendliness of large companies on a scale from 0 to 100, The Advocate has for the past seven years given kudos to corporations who understand that diversity is good for business.

Our reception in the workplace may well be at a tipping point. A record 195 companies received a 100% rating on HRC's Corporate Equality Index this year. (See a list of first-timers on page 38.) Celebrating that progress, we lead off with "Companies We Love," our annual spotlight of some of our favorite perfect-scoring corporations. We also give you a heads-up on some players who rate a big zero: With Exxon Mobil Corp. scoring zilch on our issues, why not take your business to Chevron or BP, each of whom earned 100%? And for the first time, we highlight five HRC standouts who also scored high on CRO magazine's 100 Best Corporate Citizens list this year. As we think more globally, we predict that media will increasingly portray LGBT issues as simply another measure of a company's humanistic approach.

On our cover is a gentleman whose job has everything to do with the enlightened LGBT workplace: Matthew Rhys of ABC's hit series Brothers & Sisters. Rhys plays Kevin, a gay brother among five siblings vying for love, happiness, and the affection of their powerhouse morn (the fabulous Sally Field). Rhys, who's heterosexual, has engaged in so many same-sex kissing scenes that he's learned how to joke with new acting partners to loosen them up. Kevin may be the most matter-of-factly gay TV character in history. This equal treatment reflects the fact that ABC's current executives, like younger executives throughout America, grew up in a world where gays are visible--and often vital--in every business.

ANNE STOCKWELL

EDITOR IN CHIEF