Among each of these criteria are more details that incur points toward a higher score. For example, "soft" benefits include adoption assistance and employer-provided supplemental life insurance for a partner. LGBT competency requires senior management/executive performance measures that include LGBT diversity metrics as well as gender transition guidelines with supportive restrooms/facilities.

A public commitment to LGBT-specific efforts may involve philanthropic support of an LGBT organization or event, LGBT employment recruitment efforts, and marketing and/or advertising to LGBT consumers. Of course, the biggest way to knock down a business's score is activity that would undermine LGBT equality.

By the Numbers
Some of the most interesting and encourage findings from this year's report include:

Transgender Equality

Transgender rights have finally come into the limelight and the CEI results are promising. "An impressive group of 418 CEI participants now have transgender-inclusive health care coverage," says Griffin. "Over 290 have adopted supportive gender transition guidelines, to ensure that employees experience a safe, respectful, successful transition in the workplace. The most successful businesses have fully embraced transgender-inclusion as a top priority to support their workforce, their families, and the bottom line."

In Griffin's opinion, the report's good news is cautionary, stating, "Despite 66 percent of all Fortune 500 companies now including gender identity in the employment protections, we know that this does not always translate into everyday inclusion of the transgender community."

One of the major criterion specific to transgender rights included in the evaluation process is transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage. This includes pharmaceutical coverage (e.g., for hormone replacement therapies), coverage for reconstructive surgical procedures related to sex reassignment, as well as coverage of routine, chronic or urgent non-transition services. The report highlights 418 businesses that offer at least one transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage plan and consumers will recognize big names in the travel and lifestyle sector such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

This is a massive paradigm shift in just over a decade. According to the report, only 5 percent of the rated businesses included gender identity in their non-discrimination policies in 2002. Today, that number has jumped to 85 percent.

Allies Making a Global Impact

Nearly 80 percent of CEI-rated businesses reported implementing at least three public engagement efforts with the LGBT community. One of the most exciting campaigns recently launched is W Hotels' "Turn It Up For Change" campaign. This high velocity undertaking uses the power of music to raise the volume on the fight for marriage equality and other issues related to LGBT rights. Monthly music events are being held across the country with Academy Award-winner and pop diva Jennifer Hudson serving as advocate and spokesperson.
Monthly happenings include exclusive room packages, DJ parties, and even a few pop-up surprises by Hudson. A portion of proceeds from each event will be donated to the HRC.

W Hotels - a global brand with new properties recently opened in Beijing and Bogota and even greater expansion throughout Mexico, China and India - exemplifies the CEI's most recent standards: 360 Degrees of Equality, which extends its impact across borders. To achieve a 100 percent rating in 2016, companies will need to have sexual orientation and gender identity non-discrimination protections explicitly included in all of its global operations.