Boycotting Chick-fil-A? Here Are 243 Other Companies You Might Want to Avoid

Some prominent Philly companies — as well as familiar national brands like Armani, H&M, Kate Spade, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Outback Steakhouse — don’t get high LGBTQ marks in a just-released report.


chick fil a boycott

Dole bananas and Bed Bath & Beyond photos via AP. All other photos via Google Maps.

You know how your friends are always annoying you by sharing links from years ago as if they are new stories? That’s what I thought happened the other day when somebody posted a story about LGBTQ groups and their allies boycotting Chick-fil-A. I assumed that it must have been coverage from 2012, when folks boycotted Chick-fil-A over some of the company’s charitable contributions and policies and comments that Chick-fil-A’s CEO made about gay marriage.

But no. This Chick-fil-A boycott is new.

You see, the website Think Progress recently revealed that Chick-fil-A’s charitable foundation donated close to $2 million to three groups with “a record of anti-LGBTQ discrimination.” Among those groups: the Salvation Army. (You didn’t drop a fiver into the bucket outside the mall last Christmas, did you?)

In response, Chick-fil-A has said that it isn’t trying to push a political or social agenda; the donations were for youth camps and other educational programs, it argued. But the furor isn’t letting up.

New York magazine picked up the Think Progress report. Then, the mag pushed a Chick-fil-A boycott by directing readers to 17 great chicken sandwiches you can buy in New York City that aren’t from Chick-fil-A — sandwiches “you can eat without fear that you’re also, however indirectly, supporting our nation’s hate-mongers.”

And since then, Chick-fil-A is having even more problems. San Antonio City Council just decided to ban Chick-fil-A from that city’s airport, and now officials are scrapping plans to let Chick-fil-A open at Buffalo’s airport. (Yes, there is a Chick-fil-A at Philadelphia International Airport, and no, I haven’t seen any petitions to kick them out. Yet.)

OK, so hate on Chick-fil-A all you want. It’s your prerogative. But if you’re going to boycott Chick-fil-A over issues such as these, there are probably some other companies out there you’ll want to boycott as well, including some headquartered right here in the Philadelphia area.

The Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign, one of the country’s largest LGBTQ lobbying and advocacy groups, makes it easy.

Last Thursday, the HRC published its annual Corporate Equality Index, in which the group scores companies on their treatment of LGBTQ people. The index includes all Fortune 500 companies, the AmLaw 200 law firms, and hundreds of other publicly and privately held businesses that HRC chooses. The index is largely based on responses that the companies provide to an HRC survey, and when companies do not respond, the HRC relies on other forms of research.

According to the HRC, these are the four categories that the index uses to determine the scores:

• Non-discrimination policies
• Employment benefits
• Supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility, including public commitment to LGBTQ equality
• Responsible citizenship

A perfect score is 100, and Philly-based companies like Blank Rome, Dechert, Chubb, Duane Morris, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Fox Rothschild, Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, Ballard Spahr, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, and Aramark all scored 100.

Comcast NBCUniversal slid from 100 last year to 90 this year due to policies surrounding same- and different-sex domestic partner medical benefits. And there are some other local companies that, like Comcast, didn’t pull off a perfect score but that did manage a passing grade, which the HRC says is anything 60 or above.

Below are all of the companies in the report with failing HRC scores. An asterisk after a company’s name indicates that the company did not respond to the HRC’s survey. You can view the full HRC report here.

Short version: If you are going to boycott Chick-fil-A, you might have to reconsider shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond, Acme (Albertsons Companies), and H&M; eating at Outback (Bloomin’ Brands) and Taco Bell (Yum China Holdings); living in Toll Brothers McMansions; feeding the kids Dole bananas and pineapples; using ADT for your security company; and buying spark plugs at Pep Boys, which is headquartered in Philadelphia.

CompanyHQScore
AJX Armani ExchangeNew York, NY55
Aberdeen Asset ManagementPhiladelphia, PA50
ABM Industries *New York, NY10
ADTBoca Raton, FL10
AES Corp.Arlington, VA0
Agco *Duluth, GA10
Airgas *Radnor, PA20
AirTran HoldingsOrlando, FL10
AK Steel Holding Corp. *West Chester, OH20
Albertsons Companies Inc. *Boise, ID0
Alleghany Corp. *New York, NY20
Alliance One InternationalMorrisville, NC0
Allscripts-Misys Health CareChicago, IL20
A-Mark Precious Metals *Santa Monica, CA0
American Financial Group *Cincinatti, OH20
American Tower Corp. *Boston, MA20
Amphenol Corp. *Wallingford, CT20
AmTrust Financial Services *New York, NY20
Anixter International *Glenview, IL20
Apache Corp. *Houston, TX20
Asbury Automotive *Duluth, GA20
Ashland Inc.Covington, KY40
Austin RadiologicalAustin, TX30
Autolive Inc. *Auburn Hills, MI10
AutoNation Inc. *Ft. Lauderdale, FL10
Auto-Owners Insurance Group *Lansing, MI0
Auto ZoneMemphis, TN40
Avery Dennison *Glendale, CA20
Baker Hughes Inc. *Houston, TX10
Baldor ElectricFt. Smith, AZ25
Bed Bath & Beyond *Union, NJ20
Berkshire Hathaway *Omaha, NE20
Berry Plastics *Evansville, IN20
Big LotsColumbus, OH20
Bloomin' BrandsTampa, FL50
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North CarolinaDurham, NC55
BMC HealthNetBoston, MA50
BMC SoftwareHouston, TX45
Borders GroupAnn Arbor, MI30
BorgWarner Inc. *Auburn Hills, MI10
Builders FirstSource *Dallas, TX0
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.Ft. Worth, TX20
C.P. Robinson Worldwide *Eden Prairie, MN20
CalAtlantic Group *Arlington, VA0
CalpineHouston, TX20
Caribou CoffeeMinneapolis, MN55
Casey's General Stores *Ankeny, IA0
CenterPoint Energy *Houston, TX20
CHS Inc. *Inver Grove Heights, MN20
Cincinnati Financial Corp. *Fairfield, OH0
Cognizant Technology *Teaneck, NJ20
Columbia PipelineHouston, TX50
Community Health Systems *Franklin, TN20
Computer Science Corp.Falls Church, VA55
Convio Inc.Austin, TX45
Corbis Corp.Seattle, WA35
CoreLogicSanta Ana, CA50
Core-Mark Holding Company *South San Francisco, CA10
Crown Holdings *Philadelphia, PA10
CST Brands *San Antonio, TX10
Dean Foods Co.Dallas, TX20
Delek US Holdings *Brentwood, TN20
Devon EnergyOklahoma City, OK50
Dick's Sporting Goods *Coraopolis, PA20
Dillard's Inc. *Little Rock, AR0
Discovery Communications Inc. *Silver Spring, MD20
DISH Network *Englewood, CO10
Dole FoodWestlake Village, CA0
Dollar Tree *Chesapeake, VA20
Domino's PizzaAnn Arbor, MI50
Dover Corp. *Downers Grove, IL10
DR Horton Inc. *Ft. Worth, TX20
Dr. Pepper-Snapple Group Plano, TX45
EarthLink Inc.Atlanta, GA35
EMCOR *Norwalk, CT10
Emmis CommunicationsIndianapolis, IN30
Energy Transfer Equity *Dallas, TX20
Enterprise Products Partners *Houston, TX0
EOG Resources *Houston, TX20
Essendant Inc. *Deerfield, IL10
EventbriteSan Francisco, CA55
Expeditors International of Washington *Seattle, WA10
Fidelity National Financial Group *Jacksonville, FL20
FirstEnergy Corp. *Akron, OH20
Fiserv Inc. *Brookfield, WI20
Foot Locker *New York, NY10
Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold *Phoenix, AZ20
Freescale SemiconductorAustin, TX50
Frontier Communications *Stamford, CT10
Gastronomy Inc.Salt Lake City, UT25
Genesis HealthCare *Kennett Square, PA20
Genuine Parts Co. *Atlanta, GA0
Global Partners *Waltham, MA10
Graham Holdings Arlington, VA10
Graybar Electric *St. Louis, MO20
Group One AutomotiveHouston, TX25
H&MNorth Arlington, NJ45
H.E. Butt Grocery San Antonio, TX30
Hatchett Books GroupNew York, NY40
Halliburton Co. *Houston, TX0
Harman International Industries Inc. *Stamford, CT0
HD Supply *Atlanta, GA20
Health Net Inc.Woodland Hills, CA40
Hess Corp.New York, NY45
Holland and HartDenver, CO35
HollyFrontier *Dallas, TX20
Honeywell InternationalMorris Township, NJ55
Hortonworks Inc.Santa Clara, CA50
HRG Group *New York, NY10
Huntsman Corp.The Woodlands, TX45
Icahn Enterprises *New York, NY0
Illinois Tool WorksGlenview, IL30
Imation Corp.Oakdale, MN30
Infosys Limited Inc.Plano, TX50
Intercontinental Exchange *Atlanta, GA0
International Paper CompanyMemphis, TN20
INTL FCStone Inc. *New York, NY10
Invesco LimitedAtlanta, GA45
ITTWhite Plains, NY25
JB Hunt Transport *Lowell, AR20
JM Smucker CompanyOrrville, OH55
Jabil Circuit *St. Petersburg, FL20
Kate Spade Co.New York, NY55
KB HomeLos Angeles, CA35
Kinder Morgan Inc. *Houston, TX20
KLA-Tencor Corp.Milpitas, CA20
LL BeanFreeport, ME40
L-3 Communications Holdings *New York, NY20
Las Vegas Sands Corp. *Las Vegas, NV20
Lennar Corp. *Miami, FL20
Leucadia National Corp. *New York, NY0
Liberty Global Inc. *Englewood, CO15
Liberty Interactive Corp. *Englewood, CO0
LifePoint Health *Brentwood, TN10
Lithia Motors Inc. *Medford, OR10
LKQ Corporation *Chicago, IL20
Loews Corp.New York, NY55
Markel Corp. *Glen Allen, VA0
Micron Technologies *Boise, ID20
Mohawk Industries Calhoun, GA0
Molina Healthcare Inc. Long Beach, CA40
Murphy USA *El Dorado, AZ0
National Oilwell Varco Inc. *Houston, TX20
News Corporation *New York, NY0
NextEra Energy Inc.Juno Beach, FL50
NGL Energy Partners *Tulsa, OK20
Nortel Networks Corp.Richardson, TX30
Northfield Park AssociatesNorthfield, OH55
NRG Energy Inc.Princeton, NJ40
Nucor Corp. *Charlotte, NC0
NVR Inc. *Reston, VA0
Occidental Petroleum *Los Angeles, CA20
Old Republic International *Chicago, IL20
Olin Corp. *Clayton, MO20
ONE Gas Inc. Tulsa, OK40
O'Reilly Automotive Inc. *Springfield, MO10
Oshkosh Corp. *Oshkosh, WI10
Owens-Illinois Inc. *Perrysburg, OH20
Paccar Inc. *Bellevue, WA20
Pacific Medical CentersSeattle, WA35
Packaging Corporation of America *Lake Forest, IL20
Palm Management Corp.Washington D.C.30
Pariveda Solutions Inc.Dallas, TX50
Parker Hannifin Corp. *Cleveland, OH20
Patterson Companies Dental SupplySt. Paul, MN40
PBF Energy *Parsippany, NJ20
PeabodySt. Louis, MO50
Penske Automotive *Bloomfield Hills, MI0
Pep BoysPhiladelphia, PA30
Performance Food Group Company *Richmond, VA20
Peter Kiewit Sons Inc. *Omaha, NE10
Philip Morris International *New York, NY10
Pitney BowesStamford, CT55
Plains GP Holdings *Houston, TX0
PNM Resources Inc.Albuquerque, NM45
Priceline.com Norwalk, CT55
Publix Supermarkets *Lakeland, FL0
PulteGroup Inc. *Atlanta, GA10
Quanta Services *Houston, TX10
Quintiles Transnational *Durham, NC20
RBParsippany, NJ15
Regis Corp.Edina, MN15
Reliance Steel and Aluminum *Los Angeles, CA10
Rite-Aid Corp.Camp Hill, PA50
RosettaHamilton, NJ50
Ryland GroupCalabasas, CA15
Sabre HoldingsSouthlake, TX45
Saks Inc.New York, NY50
Sanderson FarmsLaurel, MS30
San Mina-SCI *San Jose, CA0
SbeLos Angeles, CA50
Seaboard Corp. *Shawnee Mission, KS20
Sealed Air Corp. *Elmwood Park, NJ20
Selective Insurance Group (SIG)Branchville, NJ35
Severin Trent ServicesFt. Washington, PA15
SLM Corp. (Sallie Mae)Newark, DE55
Software AG USAReston, VA40
Software House InternationalSomerset, NJ10
Sonic Automotive Inc. *Charlotte, NC0
SunocoHartsville, SC55
StarcomChicago, IL5
Steel Dynamics Inc.Ft. Wayne, IN55
SunPower Corp.San Jose, CA45
Targa Resources Corp. *Houston, TX0
Tenneco *Lake Forest, IL10
Terex Corp. *Westport, CT20
Textron Inc.Providence, RI30
The Bama CompanyTulsa, OK0
The Chemours CompanyWilmington, DE25
The Marmon Group *Chicago, IL20
The Michaels CompanyIrving, TX55
Toll Brothers *Horsham, PA20
Tractor Supply Co. *Brentwood, TN20
TravelCenters of America *Westlake, OH10
Travelport LimitedParsippany, NJ45
TreeHouse Foods *Oak Brook, IL20
Truven Health AnalyticsAnn Arbor, MI55
UGI Corporation *King of Prussia, PA20
United Natural Foods *Providence, RI20
United Rentals Inc. Stamford, CT50
United States Steel Corp. *Pittsburgh, PA20
Universal Health Services Inc. *King of Prussia, PA10
U.S. Foods Inc. Rosemont, IL45
USG CorporationChicago, IL40
Valero Energy *San Antonio, TX20
Veritiv *Atlanta, GA20
Virgin OrbitLong Beach, CA50
Vision Service Plan Rancho Cordova, CA45
Vistra Energy *Dallas, TX20
WR Berkley *Greenwich, CT10
Waddell and Reed Financial Inc.Overland Park, KS45
WEC Energy GroupMilwaukee, WI40
WESCO International Inc.Pittsburgh, PA40
Western and Southern Financial Group *Cincinnati, OH0
Western Refining Inc. *El Paso, TX0
Western Union CompanyEnglewood, CO50
Windstream Corp. *Little Rock, AR20
Win-Dixie StoresJacksonville, FL35
World Fuel Services *Miami, FL20
XPO Logistics *Greenwich, CT20
YRC Worldwide Inc. Overland Park, KS10
Yum China Holdings *Plano, TX15
Zimmer Holdings Inc. *Warsaw, IN20