The Human Rights Campaign Foundation released its 2009 Corporate Equality Index this week, which rates 583 businesses on a scale of 0 to 100 on their treatment of LGBT employees, consumers, and investors.

Several companies in San Francisco, such as Gap Inc. and Wells Fargo and Co., were among the 259 businesses that got a perfect score of 100 in the new report, up one-third from 195 businesses with a perfect score in 2008.

Kristina Militante, chair of Gap GEAR (Gay Employees, Allies and Resources), which has 280 members, said she was "thrilled" with the score. The latest index, released Tuesday, September 2, marks the fourth year Gap, which has about 5,000 employees in the Bay Area, received a perfect score.

"This is a big deal for Gap and the LGBTQQ community," Militante wrote in an e-mail. "Finding a workplace that supports diversity and LGBTQQ individuals is hard. Having scored 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index demonstrates Gap Inc.'s consistent support and commitment."

Wells Fargo, which began offering coverage for surgical procedures for transgender employees on January 1, received a perfect score for the fifth year.

"We offer fair and equal policies for LGBT team members, provide great services and customized financial advice to our diverse customers, and our team members are actively involved in LGBT non-profit organizations and community programs," said Lisa Stevens, Wells Fargo executive vice president and San Francisco Bay Area regional president, in a statement. "We're proud of our score and will continue to invest in all aspects of diversity for our team members and our customers."

In fact, transgender workers have made major gains since the Corporate Equality Index was first published in 2002. That year, just 5 percent of rated businesses provided employment protections based on gender identity or expression, according to HRC. The 2009 Corporate Equality Index reports that figure has increased 12-fold: 66 percent of rated businesses now prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression, a 28 percent increase over last year.

"Improving and establishing an equal workplace for a transgender person is essential for any company that wishes to attract, recruit and retain talented employees," said Meghan Stabler, HRC Business Council member and transgender activist. "Often we are singled out for discrimination and, very often, job termination, solely because of our gender change or gender expression regardless of work history."

Gains, losses

One business that got a boost in its score was Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP, an international law firm with about 500 attorneys that is headquartered in San Francisco and New York. The firm's score went from 70 to 95.

According to Daryl Herrschaft, director of the Workplace Project at the Human Rights Campaign, Thelen gained 10 points by instituting diversity training on sexual orientation and gender identity, and it earned another 15 points for adding gender identity to its non-discrimination policy.

However, Herrschaft said, Thelen doesn't offer COBRA continuation benefit coverage to an employee's same-sex partner when that employee leaves the company.

Kevin Livingston, national manager of public relations for the firm, wrote in an e-mail that, "Thelen has long prided itself on the firm's commitment to diversity and has been honored on numerous occasions as one of the most diverse law firms in the country. We actively seek women; minority; and [LGBT] law students during the recruitment process, and the diversity of our incoming associates has ranged from 15 to 27 percent for minority associates and 44 to 70 percent for female associates over the last three years."

A company that lost points was New York-based Verizon Communications Inc. Herrschaft said the company went from 85 to 70 for "not satisfying their shareholder's request to add gender identity to their non-discrimination policy."

A shareholder proposal to amend Verizon's written equal employment policy to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity was voted down at the company's May 1 shareholder meeting.

"Verizon remains committed to our policy of zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment of any kind and a culture of respect and inclusion for all," a Verizon spokesman wrote in an e-mail. "We continuously monitor the workplace to provide the best employee experience."

In a statement, HRC Foundation President Joe Solmonese said of the equality index, "In the absence of a federal law that prohibits workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, it is up to employers to take the lead and implement policies that ensure all their employees are protected."

This is the seventh annual index. The report is available at http://www.hrc.org/cei.