In Texas, for example, CVS Health backed co-sponsors of SB1646, a bill that would " change the state’s child abuse law " to make it a crime for parents to allow their children to receive gender-affirming medical care. The HRC statement signed by CVS Health and other corporations said the companies were "deeply concerned by the bills being introduced in statehouses across the country that single out LGBTQ individuals - many specifically targeting transgender youth - for exclusion or differential treatment." On its corporate website, CVS Health says that it is "proud of our long-standing commitment to eliminating discrimination in health care and health care coverage, including our commitment to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities."īut, through its corporate PAC, CVS Health has recently supported the sponsors of anti-trans legislation in Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee, including legislation that would criminalize providing gender-affirming medical care to adults and children. The company tweeted that it was "proud to join more than 100 companies that have signed HRC’s Business Statement Opposing Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation." Along with workplace policies, the Corporate Equality Index purports to measure corporations' "public commitment to the LGBTQ community." But HRC's methodology excludes political donations, enabling corporations to craft a pro-LGBTQ image while bankrolling politicians that are undermining LGBTQ rights.ĬVS Health, for example, received a perfect score from HRC and changed its Twitter avatar to a rainbow heart in June.
These same corporations have also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to state legislators who have sponsored anti-trans legislation this year.ĭespite their extensive support for politicians undermining LGBTQ rights, all these corporations boast a 100% rating on the HRC's 2020 Corporate Equality Index. Many of these companies, however, are spending millions supporting the campaigns of anti-gay politicians at the federal and state level.Ī Popular Information investigation found that 25 major corporations have spent more than $10 million since 2019 supporting members of Congress with a zero rating on the latest Congressional scorecard produced by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the most prominent LGBTQ rights organization in the United States.
This month, corporations are plastering their social media avatars with rainbows, sponsoring Pride parades, and declaring their unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ community.