As the crow flies, I live perhaps 5 or 6 miles from Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia's largest employer and the builder of America's nuclear powered aircraft carrier fleet and many of the U.S. Navy's nuclear submarines. For the last several years the company has been a champion of LGBT rights locally and a presenting sponsor for the HR Pride event each summer. The Christofascists, of course, must be having conniption fits. Unlike Virginia Republicans, Newport News Shipbuilding when your policies are welcoming to all and discrimination is banned, you can hire the best and the brightest employees. Who they love really should play no role whatsoever in employment decisions. Moreover, such policies make a region and/or state attractive to other progressive, forward looking businesses. A piece in U.S. News & World Reports looks at the company's LGBT friendly polices. Here are highlights:
One of the nation's leading gay rights groups is praising the LGBTQ-friendly policies of the nation's largest military shipbuilder.
The Daily Press in Newport News reported Friday that Huntington Ingalls Industries received a 100 rating on a corporate survey from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
The survey evaluated policies that include domestic partner benefits and transgender-inclusive medical benefits. The company builds aircraft carriers and submarines. It was one of 609 major businesses that earned a top rating.
The shipbuilder first participated in HRC's survey last year and scored an 85. The company's score was higher this year for a few reasons.
One was the addition of medical benefits for gender transition. The benefits include surgery, mental health services or other measures.
A piece in the Daily Press provides more on the views of the company's leadership and that of its parent company, including opposition to GOP backed license to discriminate laws masquerading as "religious freedom" laws:
The nation’s largest military shipbuilder began ramping up efforts on diversity and inclusion several years ago at the behest of CEO and President Mike Petters.
He has vowed to change the culture of a corporate giant built on a foundation of shipyards, a traditional, male-dominated workplace. At Newport News, senior shipbuilders started walking the waterfront decades ago — back when attitudes on race, gender and sexual orientation were far different — so things won’t change overnight.
Changing the culture also means speaking out when necessary.
When the state of Mississippi advanced what supporters termed a religious freedom law, LGBTQ advocates rallied to oppose it.
Major business interests in the state opposed the bill, including MGM Resorts International, which operates casinos in the state, and Nissan North America. HII joined the opposition on behalf of its Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss.
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