Past Outie Award Winners
For more information about the Out & Equal Workplace Awards (commonly referred to as "The Outies"), please see our overview of the award categories and the nomination process.
Winners, 2000 – 2009
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Employee Resource Group of the Year
Trailblazer Award
2009 - Richard Clark, Accenture
2008 - Chris Crespo, Ernst & Young
Crespo is the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Allies (LGBTA) Inclusive Strategy Leader at Ernst & Young (EY) and co-founded and leads bEYond, a support network within EY for LGBT employees, which continues to expand globally. Largely as a result of her leadership and commitment, Ernst & Young offers domestic partner benefits, includes sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in its EEO policies, and LGBT workplace diversity training.
2007 - Dr. Judy Lively, Kaiser Permanente
Dr. Lively is the Physician-in-Chief for the Diablo Service Area, Kaiser Permanente, Northern California where she made a gender transition on the job and has been a champion for diversity in the workplace since.
2006 – Emily Jones, Kodak
Jones is co-founder of the Lambda Network At Kodak, helped to start the UCLA Executive Leadership Program for LGBT, Co-Chairs the HRC Business Council, and has transitioned the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley through times of great change as President and Board Chair. She has a gift of mentoring, and growing new leaders that "connects the dots" between allies, LGBT individuals and corporations.
2005 - Leslie (Les) Hohman, GM PLUS
In less than five years, Hohman took GM PLUS from a loosely-organized, mostly male social and support group, and energized it into a dynamic and leading agent for the advancement of LGBT workplace issues at the world's largest automaker. She was instrumental in having GM PLUS recognized as an official employee affinity group, she directed the push to obtain domestic partnership benefits for GM (which also resulted in the attainment of DP benefits at all of the "Big Three" domestic automakers), and helped to convince GM's Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing Group to actively pursue the LGBT market by educating them as to the size, affluence, and influence of that market.
2004 - Robert Burrell, Ford
2003 - Wesley Combs, Witeck-Combs Communications
2002 - Dr. Louise Young, Raytheon
2001 - Mary Ann Horton, Avaya
2000 - Tom Ammiano, Leslie Katz and Susan Leal, San Francisco Supervisors
Champion Award
2009 - Randy Kammer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
2008 - William C. Thompson, Jr., City of New York
As New York City’s Comptroller, Thompson has leveraged the power of the New York City Pension Fund-the fifth largest public pension system in the nation-to convince America's largest companies to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. To date, he has successfully prompted 40 Fortune 1000 companies (most in the Fortune 500) to adopt fully-inclusive policies, and leads the charge year-after-year in urging ExxonMobil to bar such discrimination.
2007 - Ana Duarte McCarthy, Citi
McCarthy has been Citi's Chief Diversity Officer since 2002 and the chief ally to Citi's LGBT community for over 10 years. She led the efforts that resulted in domestic partners benefits, the creation of employee resource groups, adding gender identity and expression to Citi's nondiscrimination policy, securing Citi's endorsement of the Domestic Partner Benefit Tax Equity Act and ENDA, and more.
2006 – Deborah Dagit, Merck
Dagit has been a strong, tireless and visible LGBT advocate throughout her 15 years as a diversity leader. She has implemented DP Benefits in 3 companies, serves on the Board of the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN), has facilitated the development of LGBT training in partnership with Brian McNaught, has been actively involved with three different LGBT Employee Resource Groups, and has taken on tough issues such as same-sex marriage.
2005 - June R. Cohen, DuPont
During her 31 year long career at DuPont, Cohen's passion, commitment and leadership in the areas of diversity, work life and people treatment have had significant impact in DuPont. Cohen was also the first management sponsor of the DuPont LGBT network.
2004 - Laura Brooks, Eastman Kodak
2003 - Judy Boyette, University of California
2002 - William Perez, CEO of SC Johnson & Son
2001 - Cathy Brill & Lisa Vitale, Kodak
2000 - Ethel Batten, Lucent Technologies
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Employee Resource Group of the Year
2009 - (Tie) General Motor's People Like Us & US Department of State and USAID's Gays and Lesbians in Foriegn Affairs Agencies
2008 - Hewlett-Packard's HP PRIDE
HP PRIDE is the oldest identified LGBT ERG in the U.S. and has a long tradition of contributing within HP and the broader community. Over the past 30 years, HP PRIDE has partnered with management to enact significant internal change, including domestic partner benefits, early adoption of EEO policies prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and later on gender identity and expression. In 2001 after meeting with then CEO Carly Fiorina, HP PRIDE's leadership team formed a global council, uniting nearly two dozen local groups under one leadership team; later an advisory board of executives was added and has become the model for all HP ERGs.
2007 - Nike's GLBT & Friends Network
Nike's GLBT & Friends Network has driven positive change for LGBT employees at Nike through several key strategies and initiatives. They have partnered with Nike's Government Affairs in active public support of two Oregon LGBT-supportive bills resulting in the passage and signature of both. They delivered an awareness building program for National Coming Out Day including WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes, out executives, and out executive allies telling their stories. They also co-developed the Youth Career Forum with GLSEN.
2006 – GLEAM, Mircrosoft
Microsoft’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender group (GLEAM) was able to effectively work with the company to include gender identity or expression in the company's EEO statement, obtain approval to add health coverage for transgender surgery to the company's healthcare policy and most importantly influenced the company's decision on turning a neutral support of Washington's anti-discrimination bill and other anti-discrimination legislation to full public support of anti-discrimination legislation in the U.S.
2005 - Chevron Lesbian & Gay Employee Association (CLGEA)
CLGEA has played an integral role in helping Chevron create an LGBT-inclusive workplace. Since it's founding in 1991, CLGEA has worked with Chevron management to develop training, include sexual orientation in non-discrimination policies, extend partnership benefits to same-sex domestic partners and, most recently, endorse ENDA and add gender identity to the company's employment policies.
2004 - Lambda Network at Eastman Kodak Company
2003 – GLBC at SC Johnson
2002 - SEA Shell at Shell Oil, Co.
2001 - Pride at Walt Disney
2000 - League of AT&T
Significant Achievement
2009 – Salt Lake City Corporation
2008 – Goldman, Sachs & Co.
In 2007, Goldman Sachs convened an LGBT Interbank Conference on Wall Street to serve as a catalyst to make Wall Street a more inclusive environment. Over the past year, in partnership with its LGBT Network, they have increased advocacy and visible support from senior executives, including endorsement for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA); offered employees the ability to self-identify sexual orientation as part of their personal HR data and bi-annual employee climate survey; developed an LGBT-specific training "Working Out: Shaping Your Career as an Out Professional"; and raised awareness internally and across Wall Street by revamping its diversity and inclusion curriculum.
2007 - Ernst & Young LLP
Ernst & Young's LGBT efforts during the past year have focused on "making it real" by engaging individuals at all levels in the organization, telling their stories, building relationships and creating opportunities for individual development and business growth.
2006 – PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers has committed great energy, effort, resources, and budget to advancing workplace equality for LGBT people in the firm, including launching and funding GLBT Circles (ERG) in 10 US offices, launching our executive-level National GLBT Partners Advisory Board, sponsoring office-wide Pride celebrations in 5 major market offices, launching LGBT Diversity training for all lines of service, and awarding our firm's highest honor, the Chairman's Award, to the GLBT Circle in our Tampa office.
2005 - IBM
Diversity policies lie as close to IBM's core as they have throughout their heritage. Today, they are building a workforce, in keeping with the diverse global marketplace, to better serve their customers and capture a greater share of the on demand opportunity.
2004 - Hewlett Packard Company
2003 - Chubb Group of Insurance Companies
2002 – JPMorgan Chase
2001 - Motorola
2000 - Ford Motor Company
Workplace Excellence
2009 – Sun Microsystems
2008 – PepsiCo
The PepsiCo LGBT network (EQUAL) represents 160,000 employees worldwide and its four chapters span all company brand holdings. Over the past year, PepsiCo has contributed more than $1 million to help create safe and equitable work environments through two programs: "Straight for Equality," a program designed to provide businesses with tools and resource linkages at a grassroots level; and "LGBT Inclusion Toolkit for Corporate America," a program to design, test and deliver cutting-edge tools and resources aimed at advancing workplace equality and foster the next of LGBT inclusion. In addition, their AIDS Task Force is reaching out to employees and the broader community of people touched by HIV/AIDS.
2007 - Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo is proud of their long and rich history with the LGBT community dating back to the 1980s, when very few companies were paying attention. They have donated over $15 million to LGBT non-profits over the past 20 years; since 1998, all benefits extended to spouses of team members have been extended to the domestic partners of team members; Wells Fargo has scored 100% on HRC Corporate Equality Index in 2004, 2005, 2006; they have been recognized by DiversityInc as one of the 'Top 50 Companies for Diversity' for five years in a row; and received the Image in Advertising Award for 'Best Interactive/Online Campaign,' from the Commercial Closet in 2006.
2006 – JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase is a consistently forward-looking champion for workplace equality, safety and inclusiveness. Its global ranking as a top company for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &Transgender diversity and it's consistent score of 100% on the HRC Corporate Equality Index, illustrate strong leadership for non-discriminatory policies, benefits parity, inclusion and community support.
2005 - Citigroup
With over 300,000 employees doing business in more than 100 countries on more than 200,000,000 accounts, Citigroup exemplifies the power of diversity and the impact a diverse workforce can have on their clients and communities. At Citigroup, they have embedded a culture of inclusion, innovation and merit, and work each day to embrace the individuality of their colleagues and the millions of people they serve, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
2004 - Kaiser Permanente and Pacific Gas & Electric Company (Tied)
2003 - NCR Corporation
2002 - American Airlines
2001 – IBM
2000 – Eastman Kodak Company
Special Awards of Distinction
Special awards of distinction are bestowed upon an individual or organization that has made a significant difference or had a major influence in sustaining and growing LGBT workplace equality over an extended period of time. This honor is awarded only when Out & Equal’s Directors and Governing Board want to recognize the outstanding and sustainable contributions of an individual or organization. There is no formal nomination process or form.
Selisse Berry Leadership Award
2008 – Selisse Berry, Founding Executive Director of Out & Equal
In the future this namesake achievement award will be given to a business or community leader whose dedication significantly advanced safe and equitable work environments.
LGBT Workplace Equality Pioneer
2007 - Dr. Franklin E. Kameny
Frank Kameny is a longtime gay activist. After being fired and then barred from federal employment in the 50s, he fought to get his job back for several years. Kameny and a friend established the Washington, D.C. branch of the Mattachine Society in 1961 and in 1971, he ran as an out gay man to be D.C.'s non-voting delegate to Congress.