General Motors

GM received a score of 100 on the 2026 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)(3). The company indefinitely suspended its advertising on Twitter and has not resumed normal operations after Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter (4). GM 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. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (5)(6). The company was a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which demonetized and suppressed content that it deemed to spread “hate speech” or “misinformation”, discuss “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context”, or “vilif[y]” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These arbitrary guidelines were used to censor mainstream perspectives online (7)(8)(9). GM integrates ESG into its business practices. From its Supplier Code of Conduct: “Suppliers will continually strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Suppliers will track Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions” (10). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Supplier Code of Conduct require[s] international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (11).

GM’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2)(3). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (4)(5). GM’s Corporate Grantmaking guidelines require that organizations abide by its nondiscrimination policy, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, thereby excluding some religious charities (6).

GM’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend at least one, controversial training 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)(3). The 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 (4)(5). GM is a signatory of the Gender & Diversity KPI Alliance, appearing to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender and racial targets for its leadership composition and its support of DEI in its hiring and promotions (6)(7). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its 2025 Corporate Governance Guidelines: “The Board is committed to actively seeking highly qualified women and individuals from minority groups to include in the pool from which Board nominees are selected and includes diverse, qualified candidates in each pool of candidates from which Board nominees are chosen” (8). GM does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (9).

GM’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company potentially 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)(3). The 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 (4)(5). GM signed an open letter endorsing the Equality Act, a contentious proposal to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act by adding sexual orientation and so-called gender identity as protected categories. The legislation would, among other implications, grant biological men access to women-only spaces such as sports teams and public restrooms, and compel healthcare providers to deliver sex-denying healthcare (6). The company also signed an amicus brief requesting the addition of sexual orientation as a protected class on the 1964 Civil Rights Law (7). GM issued a public statement opposing an election reform law in Michigan (8). Despite previously working alongside other auto manufacturers to legally challenge a California emissions standard, the company withdrew its name from the effort and threw its support behind then-President-elect Biden (9). GM has made the OneTen pledge to further emphasize race in its hiring practices (10). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its Sustainability Report: “Oversees Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) initiatives, strategies and policies that have a material impact on the company” (11). GM has used its corporate reputation to support BLM and create an Inclusion Advisory Board (12). The company’s CEO Mary Barra 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 (13)(14). GM is a Ceres Network Member, committed to carbon neutrality by 2040 (15)(16)(17). The company opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (18). In the wake of backlash against DEI, GM stopped mentioning its CEO on its DEI committee its annual 10-K filing. The company said its CEO still chairs its DEI committee (19). The company’s CEO, Mary Barra, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (20)(21).

GM’s HRC 2026 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, lab monitoring, and mental health benefits. The company also covers at least five of the following services: reconstructive hair removal, cosmetic hair removal, tracheal shave or reduction, facial surgeries, voice modification surgery, voice modification therapy, lipoplasty or filling for body masculinization or feminization, and travel and lodging expenses. Additionally, the company has potentially 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)(3)(4). The 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 (5)(6). GM was a Gold Tier corporate sponsor of the Trevor Project, an organization that advocates for controversial sex and gender ideology, including “gender transition” drugs and surgeries for minors, through legislation, litigation, advertising, and PR campaigns. The organization also hosts online chatrooms that allow adults to communicate with minors as young as 13 about sexually explicit topics. Adults in these chatrooms have encouraged minors to adopt transgender identities and withhold this information from their parents (7)(8)(9)(10)(11). The company was a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (12)(13)(14). GM announced that it would give $10 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes (15). Chevrolet donated to LGBTQ organizations, through its creation of Authentic Voices of Pride (16). GM is a copper sponsor of Out & Equal and GM and Cruise are corporate partners of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (17)(18). The company is a silver partner of PFLAG, an LGBTQ+ activist group that promotes books for children with sexually explicit and gender fluid content and advocates against laws that inform parents of their child’s gender dysphoria or prevent unapproved transgender medical treatments for minors (19)(20)(21). GM is a member of the MCCA, indicating its focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees based on race (22)(23). The company is a coalition member of OneTen, appearing to prioritize diversity over merit in its hiring (24)(25)(26). GM is a corporate partner of Ashoka, a global network of entrepreneurs focused on widespread, systemic social and environmental change (27). The company sponsored the Motor City Pride in 2025 (28). In 2021, General Motors donated to GLSEN through its corporate giving program, supporting the “Rainbow Library” initiative, which supplies LGBTQ+ themed books to K–12 classrooms and provides educators with guidance on inclusive practices (29)(30). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (31).

GM’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). From 2022-2024, the company donated to Equality PAC (3)(4)(5). In 2019, GM lobbied for the Equality Act (6).