Ross Stores 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, Ross Stores 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. Ross Stores 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. Ross Stores does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees but has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. The company is a corporate partner of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and pledged $500,000 to BLM and related causes. Ross discriminates against religious organizations in its charitable giving and is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. For these reasons, Ross Stores receives a High Risk rating.