Cake is Not for Eating : ExxonMobil Can’t be Inclusive Without Picking a Side

Global energy giant ExxonMobil is at it again, taking two steps forward and three steps back. Bloomberg recently reported Exxon has issued a policy banning “external position flags” (such as flags supporting LGBTQ2+ Pride and Black Lives Matters) from being flown outside its offices. Instead, the policy allows for flying of flags that represent the company’s employee resource groups (ERG) which do not “prominently feature” Exxon’s corporate logo. The reasoning provided by Exxon leadership was that the company wanted to remain “neutral,” presumably on issues they view as contentious.

Tracey Gunnlaugsson, Exxon’s vice president of Human Resources tried to downplay the situation claiming, “The updated flag protocol is intended to clarify the use of the ExxonMobil branded company flag and not intended to diminish our commitment to diversity and support for employee resource groups.”

Exxon has a spotty relationship with the LGBTQ2+ communities, however in recent years, things have been improving. They (finally) approved spousal benefits for same-sex couples in 2014, restored language that protects LGBTQ2+ employees in 2015 from discrimination in employment, and in 2016 added transition benefits coverage for Trans*, non-binary and gender diverse individuals. Yet this one simple decision may set their inclusion efforts back years. 

Exxon appears to want to have their cake and eat it too, meaning they want to have it both ways. They want to be inclusive and benefit from all that comes from an inclusive culture, as long as it doesn’t involve them taking a position on issues that some – including shareholders – might take offense to. 

What Exxon leadership doesn’t seem to understand is you cannot have it both ways. You can’t support both sides of an argument. You can’t say you’re an LGBTQ2+ inclusive employer and then suggest that LGBTQ2+ inclusion is only driven by your company’s ERGs (which is exactly the message they’re putting out – it’s called plausible deniability). 

You can’t say you stand in solidarity with LGBTQ2+ people and then act in contradiction to that position. Just ask Gregg Steinhafel, the former CEO of Target who, in 2010, donated $150k to MN Forward which supported Republican candidates in Minnesota who opposed marriage equality. Steinhafel had the same excuse to defend his actions: one thing does not negate the other. Target can be an LGBTQ2+ inclusive employer and support anti-LGBTQ2+ politicians. That argument didn’t really hold up, largely because it’s nonsense. The donation inspired a massive boycott of Target by the LGTBQ2+ communities (including Lady Gaga, who backed out of a deal with Target because of their stance). It’s taken a decade for Target to restore its good name within LGBTQ2+ communities. 

How Target made it back to bask in the rainbow was simple: they got involved. They realized they couldn’t sit on the sideline of important social issues. Take, for example, a 2016 policy that allows for gender diverse people to use the restroom that matches with their identity. Organizations like the American Family Association called for a boycott but Target stood its ground. They recognized that having values means sticking to them.   

Gone are the days when employers can be neutral on issues that impact their employees, their customers and the communities that they serve. It is no longer acceptable to sit on the sidelines and watch as politicians try to take away people’s human rights because of their draconian homophobic, transphobic and biphobic beliefs. 

Don’t believe me? Look what happened recently in Florida with Walt Disney World and that state’s regressive “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, recently signed into law by Florida’s bully-in-chief Ron DeSantis. Disney tried to play both sides and didn’t speak out against the Bill. They didn’t leverage their significant might (they’re one of the state’s largest employers) to influence the situation, and the community clapped back. There were multiple protests and walk-outs by staff, and the CEO had to backpedal and come out against the legislation.

DeSantis and Florida state legislators have subsequently started a massive pissing contest with Disney, which I believe, will end badly for the state. Time will tell. #dontmesswiththemouse

Companies are absolutely within their rights to take positions. They do it all the time, however, it’s mostly companies that are more right-leaning. Look at Chick-fil-A. They’ve made it pretty clear that they’re not an LGBTQ2+ inclusive employer or food service provider. And that is their right. I don’t agree with it and would sooner starve to death than eat anything from Chick-fil-A. I also think it’s a really stupid business decision. The estimated GDP of the LGBTQ2+ communities in North America is more than one trillion dollars. If they don’t want a piece of that, that’s up to them. Chick-fil-A’s position makes it really simple for LGBTQ2+ people. For those of us that value our human rights, we simply don’t support them, either as employees or as customers. 

We are starting to see more and more companies take a stand. Companies like Google and TD Bank have made it very clear that they are LGBTQ2+ inclusive and not going to shy away from that publicly, even though it may offend people. In turn, they gain the loyalty of LGBTQ2+ people and our allies. 

ExxonMobil, on the other hand, is trying to play both sides. They make claims of being inclusive as long as it doesn’t upset anyone. It’s like playing on both teams in a football game, trying to guess which team is going to be the victor so you can be part of the winning team. It doesn’t work. Being loyal to both sides means you’re loyal to neither. 

Companies have been at this for decades, since courting the LGBTQ2+ communities came into vogue in the mid 1990s. Consider the millions and millions of dollars that companies give to politicians to carry favor with them, even though those politicians work in contradiction to the company’s so called values. There’s a reason why companies donate to politicians on both sides of the aisle – it’s called hedging your bet. But as the saying goes, you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.

It’s time for companies to wake up and take a stand. If you want to be an LGBTQ2+ inclusive company, attracting LGBTQ2+ people and their allies as employees and customers, then you must make your position public and risk the potential loss that comes with that position. I believe, based simply on the math, that the ones that do choose to take a stand in favor of LGBTQ2+ inclusion will be the ones to win the game.