Students discussed different companies and their treatment of the LGBT community as both consumers and employees as part of Spectrum's Queer Consumerism event.
Spectrum, Ball State's LGBT advocacy group, hosted the event, which took place Oct. 20 in the Student Center. Spectrum Secretary Ryan Walstrom, a sophomore political science major, said it was a good way for students to see different companies as both consumers and workers.
“It’s important to know where our money is going,” Walstrom said. “And as potential employees, we need to know what to expect.”
Attendees participated in a game called “Friend or Foe” in which they determined whether companies were friendly or not toward the LGBT community based on their Human Rights Campaign (HRC) ratings. HRC is a nonprofit organization which works to improve the lives of LGBT people.
These ratings range from -25 to 100, with 100 being completely friendly toward the community. A negative score indicates that the company actively funds against the LGBT community. Scores are based on factors such as having a non-discrimination policy including sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression and equal spousal/partner soft benefits.
Walstrom added that the event wasn’t to “promote boycotting” but rather to remind people to spend their money wisely.
The ratings of some companies surprised Dalton Cromer, a senior public relations major and the vice president of Spectrum. Cromer says he often buys products from companies with low rates.
“This won’t stop me, but I’ll definitely think about it,” Cromer said.
Cromer is also a manager at a McDonald’s restaurant, which had a rating of 90. He was glad to see they scored so high.
“It shows in the workplace,” Cromer said. “You see [LGBT people] working there. It’s reflective.”
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