Southern Company

Southern Company received a score of 100 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2).  However, the company has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3).

Southern Company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). However, the company does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (3)(4). The company’s charitable giving focus areas are “arts and culture, health and human services, civic and community projects, safety, education and the environment” (5).

Southern Company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). The company highlights its unconscious and inclusive bias training required for all employees (3). However, the company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (4).

Southern Company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). The company’s CEO is a member of the Business Roundtable and signed its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders (3)(4). The company commits to being an “anti-racist” company (5). The company’s former CEO, Tom Fanning, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace (6)(7). The company is committed to net zero emissions by 2050 (8).

Southern Company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). The company has donated to Planned Parenthood and donated $200 million to racial equity and social justice causes, including $50 million to a net zero carbon future (3)(4). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (5)(6).

Southern Company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). The company has not used its PAC donations for ideological purposes (3)(4). In 2021 and 2022, the company lobbied for the “Methane Emissions Reduction Act of 2021” (5)(6).