AFTAH 's Ire Raised by Progressive Insurance's Promotion of Gays

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | May 14, 2010 at 11:43 am

230 views | 12 Recommendations | 0 comments

Peter LaBarbera, head of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality, up in arms over new Progressive endorsement of Gays

Executives at Progressive Casualty Insurance Company are marketing to gays. And this has Peter LaBarbera, head of AFTAH, up in arms.

Progressive has launched a new web-based marketing outreach program, aimed at gays. “Faces of Pride,” claims a 100% ranking with the Human Rights Campaign's "Corporate Equality Index".

On it's corporate website, Progressive asserts its pride in diversity.

View Progressive’s web page dealing with gay pride

According to the irate LaBarbera:

To earn a perfect 100-percent ranking with HRC and its“Corporate Equality Index” for 2010, a corporation must meet five sets of “positive-behavior” criteria and avoid one set of “negative” behaviors. The bulk of HRC scorecard’s involves getting points for implementing “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” nondiscrimination policies and providing corporate benefits to homosexual/transgender employees and their same-sex partners. To view the HRC requirements on the organization’s website, go to page 5 on this online PDF document.

]

But the part that really upsets AFTAH is the section on transgenderism:

"Offers transgender-inclusive insurance coverage for at least one type of benefit: At least one: Counseling by a mental health professional; pharmacy benefits covering hormone therapy and other associated lab procedures; medically necessary surgical procedures such as hysterectomy; or short-term leave for surgical procedures.”

Said OutFront, a gay pride blog:

Congratulations to Progressive for their commitment and creativity to elevating the conversations and profiles of the LGBT community above trite, stereotypical communications about our lives. I encourage all our readers to keep your eyes open at future events for Progressive’s Faces of Pride campaign and let them capture your proud smile.