Mastercard publicly terminated business relationships due to political views with The David Horowitz Freedom Center after the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) accused them of being a hate group. Mastercard scored a 100 on the 2023 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. By complying with Human Rights Campaign’s controversial demands, Mastercard increases the risk of dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. The company covers transgender-related medical costs for its employees and their children and provides specific sexual orientation and gender identity-based benefits. It also uses sex and gender ideology criteria in employee recruitment, vendor selection, marketing, and philanthropic support. Mastercard 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. Mastercard 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. The company is part of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which demonetizes groups in efforts to suppress content and advertisements that have received allegations of "hate speech." Mastercard does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination. The company indirectly donates to Planned Parenthood. Mastercard is a corporate partner of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a founding member of the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality (PGLE), and pledged over $5 million to BLM and related causes. The company supports and funds LGBTQ causes and organizations. Mastercard is a signatory of the Business Roundtable's 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism. The company opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces. Mastercard is a member of the MCCA, indicating its focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees based on race. For these reasons, Mastercard receives a High Risk rating.