Comcast and NBCUniversal named among America’s “Best Places to Work” for LGBT for second year in a row

From Comcast Corporation:

Human Rights Campaign Awards 100 Percent Score on 2014 Corporate Equality Index

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Comcast Corporation today announced that Comcast and NBCUniversal have — for the second year in a row — been named among the nation’s “best places to work” for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and earned a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2014 Corporate Equality Index. This honor recognizes the company’s sustained leadership, and is considered the trusted benchmark measuring America’s top workplaces and their inclusion of LGBT employees.

With nearly two million members, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for LGBT Americans. A complete list of the 2014 Corporate Equality Index rankings can be found at www.hrc.org.

“This ranking reflects our ongoing efforts to be the employer of choice for the LGBT community,” said Maria G. Arias, Executive Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Comcast Corporation. “Our company recognizes that having a diverse, inclusive and valued workforce is not just the right thing to do, but is the best way to run a business. By fostering inclusion, our employees are encouraged to share their diverse perspectives, experiences, cultures, and ideas which helps drive innovation in our products, services and entertainment.”

“The Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index is a valuable and practical tool for all corporations,” added Craig Robinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for NBCUniversal. “For those of us at Comcast and NBCUniversal, we do not see it merely as a measure of LGBT equality, but also as reflection of our success in creating a corporate culture that is inclusive of all communities.”

Comcast and NBCUniversal have a longstanding commitment to the LGBT community. For example:

• NBCUniversal has a rich history of showcasing groundbreaking LGBT content and talent. On screen, Focus Features productions such as Brokeback Mountain, The Kids Are All Right, Milk, and Pariah have changed hearts and minds. On television, NBC’s early-1980s Love, Sidney was the first program on American television to feature a gay lead character; in 1985, NBC broadcast An Early Frost, the first major film about AIDS; in 1991, NBC broadcast the first lesbian kiss on L.A. Law; and NBC’s Will & Grace was the most successful TV show featuring LGBT character ever. Current LGBT-inclusive content from across the company’s broadcast and cable networks includes Chicago Fire, Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Hello Ross, and Sean Saves the World, as well as NBC’s longest running daytime drama Days of our Lives which has garnered a number of awards and nominations for its popular Will and Sonny storyline. In addition, the NBC News Group is the home of openly LGBT journalists Rachel Maddow, Thomas Roberts, and Steve Kornacki, as well as finance guru Suze Orman. Eighteen NBCUniversal productions were nominated for 2013 GLAAD Media Awards.
• Xfinity.com/LGBT is an online portal that brings together a wealth of LGBT entertainment content from a variety of sources into one, easy-to-navigate location. The website includes news, programming information, and entertainment options that are especially meaningful to the LGBT community. In addition, Xfinity TV customers also have year-round access to an On Demand LGBT folder that includes award-winning movies, biographical films, documentaries, TV shows, specials and interviews.
• Comcast and NBCUniversal have LGBT Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that help attract, develop, and engage people at all levels of the organization, empowering employees to drive exceptional business results while supporting an inclusive, collaborative company culture. In fact, OUT@NBCUniversal was one of the nation’s first LGBT ERGs, founded in 1986.
• By providing airtime for PSA campaigns, Newsmakers interviews, and other media placements; offering philanthropic support; and spearheading public service campaign’s like USA Network’s award-winning Characters Unite initiative, Comcast and NBCUniversal raise awareness and resources for numerous organizations that promote LGBT inclusion, respect and equality, including: HRC; GLAAD; Equality Forum; Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute; Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF); NGLCC; National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA); Point Foundation; Equality Forum; Stonewall National Museum and Archives; Familia es Familia; Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN); CenterLink, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, and other LGBT community Centers across the nation; Outfest and other LGBT film festivals and pride celebrations throughout the country.
• Comcast’s and NBCUniversal’s innovative external Joint Diversity Advisory Council, which provides advice to senior executive teams regarding the company’s development and implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives, includes members of the LGBT community.

For more background on diversity and inclusion at Comcast and NBCUniversal, please visit www.comcast.com/diversity and http://diversity.nbcuni.com/.