[lg policy] Growing number of companies adopting non-discrimination language for funding requests

[Harold Schiffman]

Growing number of companies adopting non-discrimination language for
funding requests
Organizations that cannot align with UPS non-discrimination policy no
longer eligible for grants from The UPS foundation

by O&AN Staff Reports
Nov 12, 2012 RSS

NEW YORK, NY - GLAAD today applauded The UPS Foundation’s decision to
join a growing number of corporate leaders in providing financial
support to those organizations that align with the company’s
non-discrimination policy. The UPS Foundation had reviewed the policy
for several months and last week posted the following on its site:

The UPS Foundation seeks to support organizations that are in
alignment with our focus areas, guidelines, and non-discrimination
policy. UPS and The UPS Foundation do not discriminate against any
person or organization with regard to categories protected by
applicable law, as well as other categories protected by UPS and The
UPS Foundation in our own policies. These include, but are not limited
to race, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation,
gender identity, veteran or military status, pregnancy, age and
religion.

UPS confirmed to GLAAD that under these guidelines, which UPS said
have been in development for several months, organizations that are
unable to attest to having a policy or practices that align with the
Foundation’s non-discrimination policy will no longer be considered
eligible for funding. UPS has consistently received high marks on the
Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) Corporate Equality Index, an annual
survey that rates U.S. corporations on their non-discrimination
policies and practices toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) employees and consumers.

“More and more corporate leaders are enacting strong
non-discrimination policies for practices including grant funding and
hiring. Equality is not only good for business, but supported by a
vast majority of Americans,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick.

Prior to The UPS Foundation’s non-discrimination language, UPS gave
$167,000 to various Boy Scouts of America (BSA) entities in 2010 and
said there would not be a change to grant-making at that time
according to an American Independent report in September 2012. The BSA
currently ban gay young people and adults from serving as scouts and
as scout leaders.

In September 2012, the Intel Foundation said that the company could no
longer fund organizations like the Boy Scouts of America, so long as
the Scouts stand by their ban. BSA troops and councils around the
country that have stated they will not adhere to the ban may still
receive support from the Intel Foundation.

The CEOs of two major companies - AT&T and Ernst & Young - called for
an end to the Boy Scouts’ anti-gay policies earlier this year. AT&T’s
CEO, Randall Stephenson, and Ernst & Young’s CEO, James Turley, both
sit on the national board of the Boy Scouts of America.

GLAAD, along with Scouts for Equality, is contacting corporate
sponsors of the Boy Scouts of America to inform of them of the BSA’s
ban on gay scouts and scout leaders. More than 80,000 people signed a
Change.org petition started by Co-Founder of Scouts for Equality, Zach
Wahls, and supported by GLAAD, which called on The UPS Foundation to
end funding from the national BSA.

“The time is now for the BSA to end this outdated and unpopular ban
before other corporate funders pull dollars and scouting families drop
their support,” said Graddick. “All of the great work that the BSA
does to help young people will continue to be overshadowed by their
blatant discrimination until they join other inclusive organizations
like the Girl Scouts of the USA and the 4-H Club.”

GLAAD first started calls for the Boy Scouts of America to end their
ban on gay scouts and scout leaders in April 2012 after Jennifer
Tyrrell, a mom and den leader from Ohio was removed from her
7-year-old’s Cub Scout Pack for being gay. Tyrrell’s Change.org
petition has attracted more than 330,000 signatures in support of
ending the Boy Scouts’ ban on gay Scouts and leaders.

GLAAD and Scouts for Equality have also called attention to the
Americans who are continuing to be harmed by the anti-gay policy,
including Kentucky dad Greg Bourke who was ousted from his son’s troop
this summer and launched a Change.org campaign to be reinstated as
well as 18 year-old Ryan Andresen whose mother started a Change.org
petition which is at over 420,000 signatures after he was denied an
the rank of Eagle Scout because he is gay.

Earlier this year President Obama, who serves as honorary president of
the Boy Scouts of America, publicly opposed the Boy Scouts of
America’s anti-gay policy.

http://www.outandaboutnewspaper.com/article/5646#.UKJ5P2d62So

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