State Street has exercised its large holding in big corporations to vote against board members who are not progressive or "diverse" enough and has implemented race-based hiring practices. In May 2023, Oklahoma placed State Street on its Restricted Financial Companies List for its boycott of energy companies. State Street scored a 95 out of 100 on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. By complying with the HRC’s controversial demands, State Street 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. State Street 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. State Street 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 also recently implemented new race-based hiring practices that will require proof of interviewing a woman or ethnic-minority candidate before hiring a white man. SSGA supports the Equality Act, a controversial bill. SSGA was part of the Freedom for All Americans coalition, which advocated for federal legislation that would overrule state laws designed to protect girls' sports and similar laws. State Street opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which would prohibit teaching gender identity and sexual orientation to kids in K-3rd grade. SSGA said, “Our main focus in 2022 will be to support the acceleration of the systemic transformations underway in climate change and the diversity of boards and workforces". SSGA claims that climate change is the biggest risk factor to investor portfolios. The CEO of SSGA, Ronald O'Hanley, is a member of the Business Roundtable, which supports stakeholder capitalism over traditional shareholder obligations. State Street is a member of the Ceres Network and the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, committed to carbon neutrality by 2050. It also has ESG and ETFs. SSGA was a signatory of Climate Action 100+, but withdrew in February 2024 likely over growing concerns of potential antitrust violations, as well as because signatories were expected to start implementing climate transition plans and after legal investigations from state Attorneys General. A spokeswoman for SSGA "concluded the enhanced Climate Action 100+ phase 2 requirements for signatories are not consistent with [its] independent approach to proxy voting and portfolio company engagement". The company opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces. State Street opposed legislation in Iowa intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces. Chairman & CEO, Ronald P. O'Hanley, denounced various states’ legislative efforts to protect election integrity and security. 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. Furthermore, the company pledges to integrate DEI into its policies, promote DEI in the investment industry, and provide regular reporting on its DEI metrics to the CFA Institute. Charles River CEO, Paul Maleh, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace. State Street’s CEO, Ronald O’ Hanley, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace. The company has pledged over $6 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes. State Street is a copper sponsor of Out & Equal. The company and its subsidiary, Charles River, are corporate partners of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. For these reasons, State Street Corporation receives a High Risk rating.