In July 2022, West Virginia placed BlackRock on its Restricted Financial Institutions List for its “boycott of energy companies” according to its ESG policies and publicly available statements. The company leverages its managed assets to coerce corporate change via proxy votes and other channels to accomplish its goals related to climate change, racial equity, and gender identity. The asset manager will use discretion in lending to ban certain industries, such as guns/ammo and oil and gas, in some cases. BlackRock scored a 100 on the 2023 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. By complying with the HRC’s controversial demands, BlackRock increases the risk of dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. It also uses sex and gender ideology criteria in employee recruitment, vendor selection, marketing, and philanthropic support. BlackRock forces employees to undergo multiple ideological trainings and uses its reputation, corporate funds, and political influence to support controversial sex and gender ideologies, organizations, and legislation. BlackRock provides a benefits package for employees which covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion and transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children. America First Legal filed a letter with the EEOC requesting a civil rights investigation into BlackRock over discriminatory practices in hiring. BlackRock is a signatory of the Business Roundtable's 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional shareholder obligations. It has also funded Planned Parenthood. BlackRock is a member of the Ceres Network, Climate Action 100+, PCAF, and the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative. The company is a signatory to the CFA Institute’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Code, indicating its support of DEI in its recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and promotions. For these reasons, BlackRock receives a High Risk rating.