New US Index Measures LGBT+ Business Climate

US-based LGBT+ business network Out Leadership has launched a service called the 'State LGBT+ Business Climate Index', aiming to demonstrate to stakeholders how harmful discrimination is to businesses and to talent, and how beneficial inclusive policies can be.

Out Leadership provides CEOs and multinational companies with opportunities through global executive events and insights; its OutNEXT leadership development program; the Quorum program to advance diversity in corporate governance; and OutWOMEN initiative, which celebrates LGBT+ women in business. The new index incorporates analysis of legal frameworks to measure the impact government policies and attitudes have on the LGBT+ people residing in each state, quantifying the economic rules for inclusion and the costs of discrimination.

Funded by the Gill Foundation, which supports efforts to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the US, the survey is based on data provided by Out Leadership's partners at the Williams Institute, the United States Transgender Survey, and the Movement Advancement Project. The index gives each state a score out of 100 points, based on twenty markers assessing LGBT+ people's experiences; and then groups these markers into five broader categories. Generally, the markers assess areas including legal and non-discrimination protections, youth and family support, political and religious attitudes, health access and safety, and work environment and employment.

Dave Hughes, MD and Head of Communications, says the index provides 'both a comparative and a categorical assessment of states' performance', and demonstrates that companies where LGBT+ people are supported enjoy increased profitability and stock prices, as well as increased employee productivity. 'We hope this will equip business leaders and policymakers with a clear sense of the most impactful steps states can take to make themselves more hospitable to forward-thinking, innovative, inclusive businesses, and help drive equality forward' Hughes adds.

Web site: www.outleadership.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.