TEXAS: ExxonMobil Shareholders Reject Protections For LGBT Employees

The Dallas Voice has the unsurprising news:

Shareholders voted to reject a resolution, 81 percent to 19 percent, from the New York state comptroller calling for the company’s Board of Directors to add sexual orientation and gender identity/expression to the oil giant’s EEO policy. The 19 percent support for the resolution reportedly was the lowest ever. George Wong addressed the shareholders on behalf of the New York State Common Retirement Fund. He presented the business argument that the company should recruit from and retain the widest possible talent pool. Failure to do that leads to less efficient business operations. Most Fortune 500 companies do have inclusive nondiscrimination policies including most other major oil companies, he said. He said ExxonMobil does not accept the validity of New York state marriage licenses if the employee is gay. “That is not acceptable to us,” Wong said.

This was the 14th consecutive year in which shareholders rejected protections for LGBT employees.