Dow applauds the White House intention to prepare an Executive Order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender.

Integrity and respect for all people is core to Dow's value system.  Our commitment to driving a culture of diversity is not only a matter of equality and fundamental human rights, it is also a critical business imperative and plays a fundamental role in attracting and retaining the best and brightest talent to deliver on our business strategy.  We applaud like-minded organizations in both the public and private sectors that foster inclusion, celebrate differences and strive toward a working environment where sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are irrelevant, and we look forward to seeing these rights extended to all at the national level. 

For more than a decade, Dow has offered best-in-class practices of LGBT inclusion in the workplace including equal benefits to same-sex partners for everything from health, dental and life insurance to bereavement leave, relocation and dual career assistance. Dow also recognizes survivor benefits for its pension plan for LGBT, and began providing transgender benefits in 2010. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), only one in four FORTUNE 500 companies meet these collective criteria.

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