The LGBT community celebrates another victory following an announcement Monday that Verizon Communications has implemented a “gender identity or expression” protection to its non-discrimination policy. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) urged Verizon Communications to adopt the policy after a five year effort of filing shareholder resolutions.
“This is a significant victory for the UUA’s shareholder advocacy program,” said Tim Brennan, UUA treasurer and chief financial officer.
The UUA has filed or co-filed shareholder resolutions in major corporations resulting in gender identity protection for more than 2.9 million employees nationwide according to Brennan.
As a part of their overall efforts, the UUA has targeted companies that protect employees against discrimination but do not have policies to protect the transgender community.
“That group is particularly vulnerable because it is largely unprotected by the legal system,” Brennan said. “There has been tremendous violence against them and a lot of evidence of job discrimination.”
Previously, the UUA advocated for transgender anti-discrimination policies in corporations such as Walmart, The Home Depot, Travelers Insurance, and Proctor and Gamble among other corporate megagiants.
“Inside pressure and outside pressure gets companies to pay attention to issues they otherwise wouldn’t,” Brennan said.
The UUA holds various stock in large corporations as a part of their strategy to lobby stakeholders and file shareholder resolutions to resolve LGBT discrimination in the workplace.
