More Companies are LGBTQ+ Inclusive than Ever

In the face of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program rollbacks, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation found that more companies are actively committing to improving LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality in the workplace, even though some are rolling it back.

Since 2002, the HRCF has released its annual Corporate Equality Index, and 2025’s was just released. The report measures U.S. companies’ policies and practices in relation to the LGBTQ+ community and employees and has been a great factor of improvement for LGBTQ+ people in the workforce since.

According to the Associated Press, CEI was dropped this year right after McDonald’s announced it would join several other companies in rolling back DEI initiatives. These include Walmart, John Deere, Lowe’s, Ford, and Harley Davidson. McDonald’s elected to not participate in the survey alongside this rollback, however they received a score prior to this, which was a 100. Walmart and Lowe’s did as well, each of them receiving a 90. A lot of these rollbacks come from conservative pressure under the new president.

For this year’s CEI, there were 72 new participating companies, giving them 1,449 total. 765 of these also earned a perfect score, a 26% increase from last year. Ninety-eight percent of these explicitly include the mention of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their nondiscrimination policies. There was also a 25% increase in companies with LGBTQ+-inclusive health benefits guides, and 21% increase in those that provide benefits towards gender-affirming care and transitioning.

Of the CEI, HRC President Kelley Robinson states, “At times, progress meets backlash, but companies continue to dedicate the time and resources to reinforcing workplace inclusion. As a result, they are more competitive and more creative while attracting and retaining top talent and widening their consumer base. Our door is open for companies looking to learn more about supporting every single employee so they can bring their best to work.”