As Black Friday Approaches, Human Rights Campaign Releases Buying for Equality 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2006
Luis Vizcaino | Phone: 202/216.1547 | Cell: 310/869.5700
Brad Luna | Phone: 202/216.1514 | Cell: 202/812.8140

Attention Shoppers!

As Black Friday Approaches, Human Rights Campaign Releases Buying for
Equality 2007

During busy holiday shopping season, new guide gives consumers tool for
buying products from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender friendly
companies

WASHINGTON - As the official beginning of the holiday shopping season
is
set to start, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil rights organization, has
released a new guide listing hundreds of popular American brands ranked
on their company's GLBT inclusiveness. The publication, "Buying for
Equality", breaks products into easily distinguishable purchasing
categories. Companies and their products are compared using the
criteria
of the HRC Foundation's nationally respected Corporate Equality Index,
which evaluates GLBT workplace policies and practices.

"When the American consumer hits the malls the day after Thanksgiving,
we hope our guide, 'Buying for Equality', will be in their hands," said
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "Every single day,
those
who support equality have an opportunity to vote and put their values
into action by utilizing their pocketbooks. Our community has billions
of dollars worth of buying power and we intend to use it this holiday
season. By purchasing products from companies supporting GLBT
equality,
you are sending a message that will be heard loud and clear."

This is the second year the Human Rights Campaign has published "Buying
for Equality", a powerful tool to empower equality minded shoppers.
Last year, the guide was downloaded off of HRC's website
(http://www.hrc.org/buyersguide) more than 250,000 times.

The popular guide draws comparisons between products, services and
retail outlets that consumers use on a daily basis. For example, this
year's guide includes comparisons between retail giants Gap, which
receives a "green" rating with a 100%, perfect, score, and Abercrombie
&
Fitch, which receives a "yellow" rating with only a 50% score.

The ratings are based upon the HRC Foundation's Corporate Equality
Index
which this year found, for the first time, more than half of Fortune
500
companies now offer domestic partnership benefits to their employees.
Also, this nationally recognized report showed that 138 companies
received a perfect 100% score this year - a ten fold increase in only
four years.

Seventy percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are
very or extremely likely to consider a brand that is known to provide
equal workplace benefits for gay and lesbian employees, according to
research by Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive.

"I encourage consumers this year to take a moment to support companies
that support equality," Solmonese continued. "This holiday season,
each
one of us can do our part to help secure equality for all Americans."

The guide is available online at http://www.hrc.org/buyersguide. For high
resolution photos of the products and their ratings, please visit
http://www.hrc.org/buyersguide/photos.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights
organization
working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By
inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination
against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental
fairness and equality for all.

- 30 -

BACKGROUND ON THE 2007 BUYING FOR EQUALITY

"Buying for Equality" is an annual publication of the Human Rights
Campaign Foundation's Workplace Project that directs consumers to
support fair-minded companies through their purchasing decisions. The
buyers guide ranks hundreds of popular American brands based on their
parent companies gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT)
workplace
policies and practices. Scores are determined through scoring criteria
in the HRC Foundation's Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the only
nationally recognized measure of GLBT workplace equality. The CEI is
the primary method for companies to evaluate their diversity efforts
toward GLBT employees, customers, and investors.


Categories
"Buying for Equality" breaks companies and their products into easily
distinguishable purchasing categories. Some categories include:
* Apparel & Accessories
* Banking & Finance
* Computers & Technology
* Home & Garden
* Medicine Cabinet

Companies/products are divided based on their CEI score into red,
yellow, and green sections so that consumers can easily determine which
brands support GLBT equality.
* Green (80-100): Consumers should make every effort to support
these companies.
* Yellow (46-79): Companies/brands that have taken steps toward
a fair-minded workplace, but there is still progress to be made.
* Red (0-45): CompaniesCompanies/brands that have more work to
do in furthering equality. If possible, make the choice to support a
fairer company." I think this language helps make it more positive.


"Buying for Equality" 2007 compares many leading brands. This year,
examples of the best and worst companies for GLBT equality include:

Best
Worst
MetLife
Transamerica
BP
Exxon Mobil
Best Buy
RadioShack
Tylenol
Aleve
Whole Foods
Kroger
DiGiorno
Domino's
Gap
Abercrombie & Fitch

Distribution
Last year, "Buying for Equality" 2006 reached over one million
individuals:
* 250,000+ viewings on hrc.org
* 50,000 copies distributed
* Featured in mainstream media on CNBC, The Associated Press and
Scripps
new services
* Featured in GLBT press in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston,
Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C.

Availability
"Buying for Equality" is available via hard-copy, download, and online.

Please visit http://www.hrc.org/buyersguide for further information.



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