Clear Channel Advertizing: 100

San Antonio, Texas-based Clear Channel Communications gets a 100 score from the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

Clear Channel is a major owner of billboards along Sunset Boulevard and around West Hollywood.

J W Marriott West Hollywood: 75

Hotelier Marriott International receives a 75 score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

In order to improve their score, Marriott will have to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression, provide diversity training covering gender identity or have supportive gender transition guidelines in place, offer at least one transgender wellness benefit and offer dental, vision, COBRA or other such benefits to domestic partners.

A top-of-the-line JW Marriott Hotel is planned for the Sunset Millennium project at Sunset and La Cienega and has been approved by the West Hollywood City Council.

W Hotel: 100

The upcoming W Hotel in West Hollywood is owned by Starwood, which gets a perfect 100 score from the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

The W Hotel will be part of the second phase of the Sunset Millennium development at Sunset and La Cienega in West Hollywood.

Walgreens: 100

Walgreens gets a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

Walgreens is proposed to be located at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Crescent Heights, pending approval from the West Hollywood City Council.

AT&T: 100

West Hollywood's local phone company, San Antonio, Texas-based AT&T got a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

AT&T also owns cellular provider Cingular. Feel proud to dial away for equality!

Rite Aid: 70

Pharmacy chain Rite Aid gets a 70 score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index--the second-lowest among such stores. Only Walmart has a lower rating at 65, and Walgreens, by contrast, gets a perfect 100.

Rite Aid lost points in the index because it does not prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and/or expression nor does it engage in appropriate and respectful advertising, marketing or philanthropy.

Best Buy: 100

One of two anchor tenants in the West Hollywood Gateway, Best Buy received a perfect score of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.

If we could find parking, we'd say it's "Good to Go"!

Sempra Energy: 100

West Hollywood's natural gas provider, Southern California Gas, is a division of Sempra Utilities.

Sempra gets a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

Southern California Edison: 95

West Hollywood's local electric utility, Southern California Edison, has an almost-perfect score of 95 on the HRC Corporate Equality Index.

If Edison offered dental, vision, COBRA and other benefits to domestic partners, it would get a perfect score.

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream: 55

Located in the West Hollywood Gateway Development at Santa Monica and LaBrea, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream receives a score of 55 in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.

Ben and Jerry's Loses Points because it does not offer protections or benefits for LGBT workers in several areas:

- Prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and/or expression
- Provides diversity training covering gender identity OR has supportive gender transition guidelines in place
- Offers at least one transgender wellness benefit
- Offers domestic partners dental, vision, COBRA and dependent coverage benefits
- Offers at least three other “soft” benefits for domestic partners
- Has company-supported employee resource group OR firm-wide diversity council

Or, in the case of the ice creamery, it does not have any of the aforementioned.

Target Corp.: 80

An anchor of the West Hollywood Gateway Project at Santa Monica and La Brea, retailer Target gets a less-than-perfect score of 80 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

Target loses points because it neither "prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and/or expression," nor, "provides diversity training covering gender identity OR has supportive gender transition guidelines in place."

Bank of America: 100

Bank of America received a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

BofA is almost as ubiquitous as the lower-scoring Starbucks in town, with locations at 8025 Santa Monica, 9021 Sunset, 8655 Beverly, and at Santa Monica and San Vicente.

Wells Fargo: 100

Wells Fargo is one of many financial institutions in West Hollywood to recieve a perfect 100 score from the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

In West Hollywood, there are Wells Fargo locations at 9000 Sunset, 9201 Sunset and 8571 Santa Monica Boulevard.

Citibank: 100

Citibank is one of several financial institutions in West Hollywood to receive a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index and therefore gets our "good to go" label.

In West Hollywood, the Citibank can be found at 8900 Santa Monica Boulevard, and 9059 Sunset Boulevard.

Pavillions (Safeway): 70

Pavillions supermarket gets a 70 out of 100 for its treatment of gay and lesbian workers in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

HRC expresses concern over the Saveway Corporation's policies on, "discrimination based on gender identity and/or expression," and, not offering "domestic partner health insurance" benefits.

Pavillions is located at 8969 Santa Monica Boulevard, at Robertson.

Whole Foods: 95

Organic grocer Whole Foods receives a 95 score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

The only area where HRC found room for improvement was in offering, "domestic partners dental, vision, COBRA and dependent coverage benefits."

Whole Foods is located at 7871 Santa Monica Boulevard at Fairfax in West Hollywood.

McDonald's Restaurant: 85

Like Starbucks, McDonald's restaurants receive an 85 score from the Human Rights Campaign for lacking a policy to probibit, "discrimination based on gender identity and/or expression."

There is one McDonald's in West Hollywood at 1133 N. LaBrea and one just across the border at 8152 Sunset Boulevard in the City of Los Angeles.

Starbucks: 85

Starbucks, which seems ubiquitous around West Holluwood, gets an 85 on the HRC Corporate Equality Index.

Specifically, the Human Rights Campaign deducts points from Starbucks' score for lacking a policy to probibit, "discrimination based on gender identity and/or expression."

There are five Starbucks locations in West Hollywood on Sunset between Sweetzer and Kings Road, and along Santa Monica at Robertson, West Knoll, Fairfax and La Brea.

Ramada West Hollywood: 90

The Ramada West Hollywood is marketed by the Dallas, TX-based Wyndham Hotels Group. Wyndham Hotels--which used to also own West Hollywood's Bel Age Hotel--gets a good but not perfect 90 rating from the Human Rights Campaign for their treatment of gay and lesbian employees.

HRC sees areas for improvement in Transgender Wellness Benefits and in the "soft" benefits offered--or in this case, not offered--to employees' domestic partners.

The Ramada West Hollywood is located near Boys' Town at 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard.

Hyatt West Hollywood: 100

The Global Hyatt Corporation is one of four hotel groups to receive a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

The Hyatt West Hollywood is located at 8401 Sunset Boulevard, between La Cienega and Sweetzer, and is convenient to Sundays at Prestige, the O-Bar and West Hollywood City Hall.

West Hollywood Adjacent

Qualcomm Founder Neil Kadisha is now running Omninet Capital in Beverly Hills.

A major donor to moderate political campaigns, Kadisha is a leading Jewish Businessman. Check out the Jewish Journal profile of Neil Kadisha.

Chevron: 100

Unlike rival Exxon-Mobil, which scored a zero on the HRC Corporate Equality Index, Chevron gets a perfect 100 score for its treatment of gay and lesbian employees.

Chevron is the only oil and gas company to receive a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign.

In West Hollywood, you can find Chevron at 1107 La Cienega Blvd., just north of Holloway. There is also one located at Sunset and Crescent Heights just outside City limits.

Exxon-Mobil: ZERO

Exxon Mobil is one of three companies to score a ZERO rating on the HRC Corporate Equality Index.

Here is what HRC had to say about them: "ExxonMobil has the dubious distinction of being the only U.S. company to have rolled back both benefits eligibility for its employees’ domestic partners and a non-discrimination policy inclusive of sexual orientation. When Exxon purchased Mobil in 1999, Mobil had specifically included sexual orientation in its non- discrimination policy and offered benefits to domestic partners. Exxon did neither. Mobil’s employees lost the protections and the domestic partner benefits program was closed to new applicants when they were brought under Exxon’s policies. Since then, the company has consistently refused to add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy despite shareholder attempts. Instead of modifying its written policy for its employees, the company simply professes to its shareholders that it does not discriminate."

It also has a couple of locations in West Hollyood--at 8020 Santa Monica Boulevard--next to FuBar--and at 8380 Santa Monica Boulevard across from Hugo's Restaurant. There is also anouther location just outside West Hollywood at Sunset and Fairfax.

About the West Hollywood Business Blog

Welcome to the West Hollywood Business Blog. Here, you will find information about how businesses in and around West Hollywood fare on the 2006 Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.

While California law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, that does not mean that all businesses treat their gay and lesbian employees equally. The HRC Index bases its findings on a number of factors--"including whether they have a written non-discrimination policy covering sexual orientation; support transgender employees with written non-discrimination policies and benefits; offer inclusive health insurance, bereavement and family leave policies to employees with same-sex partners; offer diversity training; have GLBT employee groups; engage in appropriate and respectful advertising to the GLBT community; contribute to GLBT community organizations; and decline to engage in any activities that would undermine the goal of equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."

We'll break down how business rate by industry--so you can compare hotels against each other or decide where to fill your car up with gas--and give those with the highest ratings a "Good to Go" label!

Thanks for visiting this site and thanks for frequenting West Hollywood's gay-friendly businesses!

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