MetLife Named 2011 Straight For Equality in Business Award Winner

PFLAG's Third Annual Awards Gala to Celebrate Corporate Leader in Ally Excellence

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/-- PFLAG National has named MetLife the 2011 Straight for Equality in Business honoree. The award will be presented on Monday, March 14 in New York City as part of PFLAG National's third annual Straight for Equality Awards Gala.

The Straight for Equality in Business award acknowledges an organization with a demonstrated commitment to achieving equality for LGBT people in the workplace by educating and engaging straight allies in creating both policy and culture change.

"MetLife is clearly a leader in workplace diversity and inclusion across all dimensions, but to us, their commitment to achieving equality for LGBT people – and empowering straight allies to do this important work – made them a natural choice for the 2011 award," said Jody M. Huckaby, executive director of PFLAG National. "Simply put, MetLife walks its talk, demonstrated time and again through their internal policies, external practices, and corporate philanthropy."

"It's an honor for MetLife to be recognized by PFLAG for our efforts to create an open inclusive environment for all of our associates," said Lynne DiStasio, vice president and chief diversity officer at MetLife.  "PFLAG National has been a great partner in helping MetLife educate associates about how straight allies can be supportive of LGBT people at work, at home and in their communities. We look forward to our continued partnership."

Since the initial launch of Straight for Equality in 2007, MetLife has provided education and support for LGBT and straight ally employees of the corporation. As part of its activities, MetLife has hosted over 30 Straight for Equality in the Workplace training sessions around the country. MetLife also has been a strong financial supporter of PFLAG National programs, such as Safe Schools.

In the workplace, MetLife offers its U.S. employees and their domestic same- and opposite-sex partners a variety of health and other benefits.  MetLife also has a recognized LGBT affinity group, Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgenders and Allies at MetLife (GLAM), which provides support and guidance for MetLife's LGBT marketing strategy and recommends best practices and strategies to increase recruiting in the LGBT market. Beyond GLAM, MetLife also has as a strong diversity community comprised of more than 30 employee-led groups.

Through MetLife's research and education arm, the Mature Market Institute, the company produced the Out and Aging and Still Out, Still Aging reports in collaboration with the American Society on Aging. These reports focus on the financial and long-term care needs of LGBT boomers.

Additionally, MetLife has earned a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for eight years running.

Click to learn more about the 2011 Straight for Equality Awards Gala, or visit www.straightforequality.org/2011gala

Press/media: Interviews with representatives from MetLife and PFLAG National/Straight for Equality are available both before and at the event. Please contact us to schedule interview times.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is the nation's foremost family-based organization committed to the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Founded in 1973 by mothers and fathers, PFLAG has 200,000 members and supporters in more than 250 chapters throughout the United States. To learn more, please visit www.pflag.org.

Straight for Equality is a project of PFLAG National. It was launched in 2007 to invite, educate, and engage straight individuals to have the discussions necessary to move equality forward for their gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender friends in simple, nonpolitical ways. Learn more at www.straightforequality.org today.

SOURCE PFLAG National