Madison,
17
June
2020
|
17:06 PM
America/Chicago

American Family supports landmark Supreme Court ruling protecting LGBTQ rights

Summary

American Family stands with the LGBTQ community and supports the recent Supreme Court ruling protecting LGBTQ people from employment discrimination.

When the Supreme Court ruled this week that employers can’t discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity, it affirmed the practices of fairness and equality that have long been a part of the culture and values at Madison, Wisconsin-based American Family Insurance.

The Supreme Court’s ruling also comes during Pride Month, a time when American Family celebrates and recognizes our LGBTQ communities with programming and other events. Our support for the LGBTQ community is ongoing – and extends beyond the walls of our company buildings.

“We fly our pride flag at American Family Insurance 365 days a year because of our commitment to – and willingness to stand with – our LGBTQ community,” said Tyler Whipple, American Family Insurance inclusive excellence vice president. “As an organization, we’ve never been more committed to an equitable and inclusive workplace where intersectionality is embraced, everyone feels they belong, and every employee can do their best work on behalf of our customers.”

Earlier this year, American Family Insurance was once again recognized as a best place to work for LGBTQ equality. American Family’s perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2020 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking report on LGBTQ workplace equality, is the company’s fifth consecutive top score. The 2020 CEI rated businesses in the report based on policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, parity in spousal and partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community.

In 2019, American Family, through its LGBTQA Business Resource Group (BRG), provided financial support for nonprofits OutReach LGBT Community Center in Madison and Courage MKE, which provides housing, resources, and other services for displaced and homeless LGBTQ youth in Milwaukee.

“We believe in equality for everyone regardless of background, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender identification or anything else that seemingly makes us different,” said Jack Salzwedel, American Family Insurance Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “At this critical moment for social justice in our country, we are thrilled that the nation’s highest court has ruled to provide LGBTQ employees the basic workplace protections that all people deserve.”

In 2018, Salzwedel signed a pledge as part of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, committing to advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. More than 450 other CEOs and company presidents of the world’s leading companies and business organizations have also signed the pledge. It signals American Family’s commitment to drive meaningful conversation and action inside our organization and with other companies that signed the pledge.

American Family’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity includes sponsorship of Business Resource Groups. Employee members of these groups are committed to serving as resources for the business. The groups are Abilities, LGBTQA, Multicultural, Southeast/East Asian, South Asian, Veterans and Military, and Women’s. More groups, like African American/Black and Hispanic/Latinx are being added this year to engage more employees.

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About the American Family Insurance group
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, American Family Insurance has been serving customers since 1927. We inspire, protect and restore dreams through our insurance products, exceptional service from our agency owners and employees, community investment and creative partnerships to address societal challenges. We act on our belief in diversity and inclusion by constantly evolving to meet customer needs and preferences. American Family Insurance group is the nation’s 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group, ranking No. 254 on the Fortune 500 list. The group sells American Family-brand products, primarily through exclusive agency owners in 19 states. The American Family Insurance group also includes CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance (formerly Ameriprise Auto & Home), The General, Homesite and Main Street America. Across these companies the group has more than 13,500 employees nationwide.