Exxon Shareholders Reject Gay Rights Resolution
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While Rockefeller family?s attempt to get oil giant ExxonMobil to focus more on climate change got more publicity, there was another resolution that went before shareholders today as well--gay and lesbian rights.
ExxonMobil (XOM: 81.70, +0.90, +1.11%) shareholders voted down a resolution to add ?sexual orientation? and ?gender identity? to Exxon?s non-discrimination statement on Wednesday. Approximately 40% of Exxon?s outstanding shares voted in favor of the clause, but it was not enough to send the issue to the oil company?s board of directors.
The shareholder resolution has come up every year since 2000, when it got 8.2% approval among shareholders. The percentage that voted in favor of the resolution has grown every year since then.
The non-discrimination resolution got 39.6% of the vote--more support than all the Rockefeller-supported proposals.
Human Rights Campaign--the LGBT rights lobbying organization--said ExxonMobil is the only company they've had to use shareholder activism as a method to get ?sexual orientation? and ?gender identity? added to a company?s non-discrimination clause.
?Our conversations with management never went anywhere,? said Trevor Thomas HRC spokesman.
ExxonMobil has the dubious distinction to be one few major, and certainly the largest, corporation that does not provide protection to its LGBT employees.
?Gay and lesbian employees can still be fired for being themselves at Exxon, unfortunately,? Thomas said.
Exxon?s lack of support for a LGBT employee protection is historically a sore point for LGBT rights advocates. Before ExxonMobil merged in 1999, then Mobil Corporation provided full same-sex partner benefits to its employees. After the merger, ExxonMobil closed those benefits programs to same-sex couples and adopted Exxon?s current discrimination policy.
An ExxonMobil spokesman said the company does provide LGBT discrimination protections to employees through its internal policies and allows same-sex partner benefits where "legal spousal relationships" are legal in countries such as Canada or the Netherlands.
Recommend (34) Email this Story | Respond to Editor | Print
SEND Ken Sweet
FOXBusinessDigg It StumbleUpon Newsvine Reddit Related ContentExxon CEO Touts Share Buybacks
While Rockefeller family?s attempt to get oil giant ExxonMobil to focus more on climate change got more publicity, there was another resolution that went before shareholders today as well--gay and lesbian rights.
ExxonMobil (XOM: 81.70, +0.90, +1.11%) shareholders voted down a resolution to add ?sexual orientation? and ?gender identity? to Exxon?s non-discrimination statement on Wednesday. Approximately 40% of Exxon?s outstanding shares voted in favor of the clause, but it was not enough to send the issue to the oil company?s board of directors.
The shareholder resolution has come up every year since 2000, when it got 8.2% approval among shareholders. The percentage that voted in favor of the resolution has grown every year since then.
The non-discrimination resolution got 39.6% of the vote--more support than all the Rockefeller-supported proposals.
Human Rights Campaign--the LGBT rights lobbying organization--said ExxonMobil is the only company they've had to use shareholder activism as a method to get ?sexual orientation? and ?gender identity? added to a company?s non-discrimination clause.
?Our conversations with management never went anywhere,? said Trevor Thomas HRC spokesman.
ExxonMobil has the dubious distinction to be one few major, and certainly the largest, corporation that does not provide protection to its LGBT employees.
?Gay and lesbian employees can still be fired for being themselves at Exxon, unfortunately,? Thomas said.
Exxon?s lack of support for a LGBT employee protection is historically a sore point for LGBT rights advocates. Before ExxonMobil merged in 1999, then Mobil Corporation provided full same-sex partner benefits to its employees. After the merger, ExxonMobil closed those benefits programs to same-sex couples and adopted Exxon?s current discrimination policy.
An ExxonMobil spokesman said the company does provide LGBT discrimination protections to employees through its internal policies and allows same-sex partner benefits where "legal spousal relationships" are legal in countries such as Canada or the Netherlands.
