Wal-Mart extends job rights to gays
Largest retailer’s decision hailed by gay-advocacy groups

MSNBC STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

NEW YORK, July 2 — Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer and nation’s largest private employer, updated its antidiscrimination policy Wednesday to include gays and lesbians. Sexual orientation will be added to Wal-Mart’s diversity-awareness program, a company spokesperson said.

“Our continued growth requires us to be one of the more desirable employers around, so we’re clearly stating our acceptance for all of our associates,” Spokesman Tom Williams said. “Otherwise, we could lose many talented employees, and we don’t want that.”

The policy will not affect benefits, which Wal-Mart does not offer to unmarried partners of any orientation. Williams said the policy change had been considered for months and is now in effect. It is considered an internal communication and is not being publicly released.

The change means nine of the 10 largest Fortune 500 companies now have rules prohibiting discrimination against gay employees, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The one exception is the Exxon Mobil Corp.
Wal-Mart’s decision was hailed by gay advocacy groups as a sign of changing attitudes in corporate America in the treatment of gay employees.

“This action helps ensure that Wal-Mart’s gay and lesbian employees will be judged on their merits, not on their sexual orientation,” said Zack Wright of Pride Foundation. “The inclusion of sexual orientation in Wal-Mart’s nondiscrimination policy may be the only example of fair treatment for gays and lesbians that some people will ever see, particularly in rural, more conservative areas.”

“It’s a tremendous step forward, a real symbol of how far we’ve come in recent years, and especially in the past few days,” said Michael Adams, an attorney and spokesman for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, alluding to last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down anti-sodomy laws.
“Wal-Mart is a uniquely important company in this country,” Adams said. “And they’re known as a careful and cautious corporation, which will cause others to take a look at this issue.”

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