HRC Blog

It is with great pride that we write today about two of our Business Council members, Richard Clark and Helga Ying, have recently been recognized for their outstanding achievements in workplace equality by being nominated for an Out & Equal Workplace Advocates “Outie Award.” Each year at its annual conference, Out & Equal presents awards in five different categories recognizing the most significant achievements in LGBT workplace equality.  This year, Accenture’s Richard Clark was nominated for the Trailblazer Award, which recognizes an LGBT person who has made a significant contribution to advancing workplace equality by helping improve their own workplace or contributing to equality nationally.  At Accenture, Senior Managing Director of Investor Relations Richard Clark has been pivotal in the process for securing many benefits for LGBT employees that include:

• Ensuring that fertility services/IVF coverage are available to all health plan members, including lesbians;
• Amending the firm’s pension plan and 401(K) plan to allow same sex and opposite sex domestic partner beneficiary designations;
• Putting in place Transition Guidelines for transgendered individuals; and
• Adding LGBT vendors to the firm’s US Supplier Diversity program.

Helga Ying, Director, Worldwide Government Affairs and Public Policy for Levi Strauss, was nominated for The Champion Award, which recognizes a non-LGBT person who has played a pivotal role in championing equal treatment of LGBT employees on the job. This individual will have demonstrated a significant commitment to LGBT workplace rights.  Helga has helped lead the California business community’s response to federal and state initiatives to promote workplace equality for the LGBT community including:

• Advocating for LS&CO. to file an Amicus Brief in the California Supreme Court in relation to the In re: Marriages case.  LS&CO. was the only corporation to take a position in that case
• Approaching San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and its Public Policy Committee with public presentations that helped lead the Chamber to join the 2007 Amicus Brief in support of same sex marriage before the California Supreme Court
• Serving on Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) Business Advisory Council (She was one of the first heterosexuals to serve on the Business Advisory Council)
• Co-chairing HRC's Business Coalition for Workplace Fairness in support of an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)
• Advocating LS&CO.’s support for passage of the Domestic Partners Tax Equity legislation
• Guiding LS&CO.’s leadership as the co-chair of the Business Council on No on Prop 8

We wish both of them luck!