Gender Identity Added to Fortune 500 Policy

PPL Corporation, a Fortune 500 company based in Allentown (about an hour’s drive from Philly), has added gender identity to its non-discrimination policy this week. PPL’s Chairman and CEO William Spence said he was inspired to rethink the policy in October when he was attending the 10th anniversary gala for PPL’s gay and lesbian employee resource group (GLOW). It was at that event that Adrian Shanker, Equality Pennsylvania‘s president, was delivering a keynote.

“This change is very significant, and it is yet another reminder that equal rights for the LGBT community are common sense,” says Shanker. “I hope our legislators soon catch up with the public as well as those who overwhelmingly believe that non-discrimination in the workplace is good policy.”

PPL’s official statement is as follows: “PPL Corporation has once again demonstrated its commitment to equality as it has added gender identity to its Equal Employment Opportunity Policy. In 2002, GLOW became PPL’s LGBT business resource group. Domestic partner benefits were offered to PPL’s management employees in 2008 and union employees in 2011.”

Presently, Pennsylvania law does not include sexual orientation or gender identity in employment protections.