Coca‑Cola Raises Rainbow Flag at Atlanta HQ
Supporting the LGBTQI Community
05-17-2019
Coca‑Cola is known for its efforts to bring people together. Regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation, inclusivity has been at the heart of The Coca‑Cola Company.
Today, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, the company is raising a rainbow flag at its Atlanta headquarters to demonstrate its global support for LGBTQI employees and communities everywhere. The day aims to raise awareness of LGBTQI rights globally.
Coca‑Cola is proud of its history of supporting and including the LGBTQI community in the workplace, in its advertising and in communities throughout the world. From supporting LGBTQI pride parades to running rainbow-colored billboards, Coca‑Cola has demonstrated its commitment to protecting employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
Coca‑Cola is proud of its history of supporting and including the LGBTQI community in the workplace, in its advertising and in communities throughout the world.
Recent examples include:
- 2004: The company created an employee LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Ally) Business Resource Group to foster a culture of equality and inclusiveness.
- 2011: The company began offering transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage in the U.S.
- 2015: Coca‑Cola began assisting with the costs of taxes imposed on eligible U.S. employees whose same-sex spouse or partner was enrolled in health benefits and who lived in states that did not recognize same-sex marriage.
- 2017: The company implemented a paid parental leave policy which extends to same sex couples in the U.S.
- 2017: The company added gender identification and expression protection language to its Global Human Rights Policy
Coca‑Cola has taken a proactive and vocal role in the community, too. For example, Coca‑Cola was one of the first companies in the U.S. to publicly support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act – legislation proposed in the U.S. Congress that would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity by employers with at least 15 employees. And in 2015, the company, along with 379 other businesses, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of marriage equality.
The company has long protected employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, having scored 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index every year since 2006.
The stories below are just two examples of how the company celebrates the LGBTQI community and empowers employees to bring their whole – and true – selves to work.
As Coca‑Cola strives to serve as a champion business and the community, it recognizes its responsibility to be vocal when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Yes, Coca‑Cola is a beverage company. But it's also a company that cares about human rights – about people from all different backgrounds and walks of life. On May 17 and every day, Coca‑Cola salutes its LGBTQI associates, consumers, customers, friends and family.
