celebrating 30 years of championing rights for LGBTQ+ employees

3 min read | june 15, 2023

In 1993, Chevron became the first major U.S. oil and gas company to add sexual orientation to our nondiscrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity policies.

Mike Craig remembers stepping into his first role at Chevron in 1991 and joining the newly formed Lesbian and Gay Employee Association (CLGEA).

“I joined just to see what was happening but with no preset ideas about the group, because the membership list was not public and there weren’t any PRIDE activities in Houston,” Craig said.

Two years later, Chevron became the first major American oil and gas company to add sexual orientation to our nondiscrimination policy and Equal Employment Opportunity statement. This opened the door to other key diversity and inclusion milestones throughout the company.

“It was the springboard that allowed us to begin discussions about domestic partnership benefits,” recalled Craig, a customer experience advisor in Houston and longtime member of CLGEA, now called the Chevron PRIDE employee network.

background

In this 2018 video, employees shared the history of Chevron’s PRIDE employee network and their experiences of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

leading the way

As president of the PRIDE network from 2003–2008, Craig continued to advance the company’s momentum in human rights equity. He played a leading role in evolving our nondiscrimination policies to include gender identity and gender expression.

“We talked to several company leaders about the transgender community so everyone could develop a better understanding about inclusion and how to look at the full spectrum of employees’ identities,” he said. “When you get the right information in front of the right people, you get the right choices.”

In 2005, the PRIDE network published the first edition of “Transgender @ Chevron”, a guide for transitioning employees and their allies. This was shared with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a model for employee handbooks.

Additionally, the PRIDE network was recognized that year as the “Outstanding Employee Resource Group” by Out & Equal—a global nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

“At Chevron, we don’t manage diversity. We celebrate it.”

mike craig

customer experience advisor

the domino effect

Chevron’s other major inclusion milestones include adding fully inclusive transgender wellness benefits in 2011 and adding LGBTQ+ businesses to our supplier diversity program in 2012. We also recently received recognition, for the 17th consecutive year, from The Human Rights Campaign Foundation for our ongoing efforts to ensure equality for LGBTQ+ employees and their families.

1991 chevron lesbian and gay employees association is formed

Chevron’s first sanctioned employee resource group starts with a vision to enhance our work environment through embracing diversity and promoting LGBTQ+ contributions.

1993 chevron expands nondiscrimination and EEO policies

Chevron becomes the first major U.S. oil and gas company to add sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity policies.

1997 chevron offers domestic partnership benefits to all employees

Chevron becomes the first major U.S. oil and gas company to offer domestic partnership benefits to same-sex families.

2005 chevron adds gender identity and expression to its global non discrimination policies

That same year, our PRIDE network publishes the first edition of “Transgender @ Chevron,” a guide for transitioning employees and their allies. This is shared with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a model for employee handbooks. The PRIDE network is named “Outstanding Employee Resource Group” by Out & Equal.

2011 chevron expands healthcare benefits to transgender employees

Along with this transgender healthcare milestone, the Chevron PRIDE network commemorates its 20-year anniversary with celebrations spanning the globe.

2012 chevron adds LGBTQ+ businesses to our supplier diversity program

Chevron becomes one of the earliest corporate partners and supporters of the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

2016 chevron is named one of the “top 30 corporations for inclusion”

Chevron earns recognition as one of the inaugural 2016 National Business Inclusion Consortium Best-of-the-Best Top 30 Corporations for Inclusion.

2019 chevron named one of the “best-of-the-best” corporations in America

The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce honors Chevron for its commitment to diversity and inclusion across all communities.

2022 chevron earns 17th perfect score on corporate equality index

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation recognizes Chevron’s continued efforts to establish and implement best practices to ensure equality for LGBTQ+ workers and their families.

why it matters

We believe that a diverse workforce and inclusive culture helps inspire creative solutions, strengthens our performance and propels our innovations to drive success.