|
Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson no friend of LGBT community |
by Mike Andrew -
SGN Staff Writer
There are many reasons to feel anxious about Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of State.
ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is a friend of Vladimir Putin and business partner of many of Putin's cronies. He runs a giant oil conglomerate and almost certainly will backtrack on the Obama administration's commitment to global environmental agreements. He's an enemy of government health and safety regulations but a vocal supporter of free trade deals.
He also runs one of the most anti-LGBT companies in the country. ExxonMobil's record is so bad, in fact, that it received the only negative ratings ever issued by HRC's Corporate Equality Index. His company earned a minus-25 rating from HRC in 2012 and 2013.
Tillerson became CEO of ExxonMobil in 2006 after a quarter century as an employee of the firm. In 2014, the company's shareholders - which included Tillerson - voted against offering protections to LGBT workers for the 17th time.
To be fair, the company's anti-LGBT record goes back years before Tillerson took the helm, although he has been employed there since 1975.
In 1999 Exxon took over Mobil Oil and rescinded Mobil's domestic partner benefits for Lesbian and Gay employees. At the time, Tillerson was Exxon's Vice President of Exxon Ventures, the oil giant's capital investment arm. After the merger, Tillerson steady climbed the corporate ladder, becoming president and director of ExxonMobil in 2004 and CEO in 2006.
In 2009, ExxonMobil, now led by Tillerson, took over XTO Energy. Just as it did when it acquired Mobil, it canceled same-sex domestic partner benefits for XTO employees.
In fact, ExxonMobil did not add sexual orientation and gender identity to its nondiscrimination policies until last year, following President Obama's executive order requiring federal contractors to offer such protections.
HRC president Chad Griffin released a statement calling on the Senate to ask tough questions of Tillerson when it considers his nomination.
'ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson's nomination raises critical questions as to how a Trump administration plans to protect LGBTQ employees and contractors affiliated with the State Department, and ultimately whether it will continue American efforts to advance equality through US foreign policy,' Griffin said.
'Will Trump and Tillerson take on brutal dictators like Putin, who have inspired attacks against LGBTQ people? Will they assist LGBTQ Muslim refugees fleeing death from ISIS? For millions of people around the globe, their position on these and other issues are a matter of life and death. These are among the questions that senators - Democrats and Republicans alike - must ask.'
Share on Facebook
Share on Delicious
Share on StumbleUpon!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orlando PD adopts SPD Safe Place program at six-month Pulse shooting anniversary
------------------------------
ERW takes conversion therapy ban on the road
------------------------------
Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson no friend of LGBT community
------------------------------
Louisiana judge strikes down LGBT protections
------------------------------
4.5% of California youth identify as gender nonconforming
------------------------------
Local nonprofit consultancy to award pro-bono services to promote tolerance and understanding
------------------------------
Uncle Ike's and Solstice partner with Low Income Housing Institute
on high-minded stocking stuffer
------------------------------
SOSea self-defense class instructs community members how to avoid being the target of hate
------------------------------
Former Gov. Christine Gregoire and Diverse Harmony bring unity and hope to the GSBA Holiday Luncheon
------------------------------
Washington Won't Discriminate - Join the fight!
------------------------------
Federal employees union refuses to turn over names of energy staffers to Trump team
------------------------------
WEEKLY PETS:
------------------------------
GOP resurrects FADA
Bill legalizes anti-LGBT discrimination
------------------------------
Pride at Work statement on Secretary of Labor nomination
------------------------------
Anti-LGBT group drops First Amendment lawsuit
------------------------------
Guilty!
White supremacist convicted of Charleston killings
------------------------------
Cherokee Nation to recognize same-sex marriages
------------------------------
Surprise! Trump is the messiah, televangelist says
------------------------------
Seattle will host the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game
------------------------------
UN fires Wonder Woman
Comic book hero was supposed to symbolize women's empowerment
------------------------------
BREAKING NEWS
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
|