A national lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization gives high marks for inclusion to several major companies that have substantial operations in St. Lawrence County.

Those companies are Alcoa, Corning, Pepsi, Time Warner Cable, and National Grid.

The Human Rights Campaign has released the 2015 Corporate Equality Index, an annual report assessing LGBT inclusion in major companies and law firms across the nation, including 137 in New York.

Companies in St. Lawrence County that have a rating of 100 from the HRC include Alcoa, which smelts aluminum at a plant near Massena; Corning Inc., which has a manufacturing facility in the Town of DeKalb; PepsiCo, with a bottling plant in Ogdensburg; and Time Warner Cable, a major supplier of broadband services.

National Grid USA, which distributes electric power in the North Country, has a rating of 90, HRC said.

In total, 781 companies were officially rated in the 2015 CEI, up from 734 in the 2014 report. The report also unofficially rated 190 Fortune 500 companies who have yet to respond to the CEI survey about their LGBT policies and practices. The average score for companies and law firms based in New York is 90 percent.

“When it comes to LGBT equality, Corporate America is a leader, not a follower,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “At every turn, from advocating for marriage equality to providing vital support for transgender employees, this country's leading companies have asked, 'what more can we do?,' and they've worked tirelessly to achieve new progress. That kind of leadership changes countless lives around this country, and sets an important example to other companies around the globe."

Griffin cautions, however, that despite steady progress, LGBT workers still face major obstacles.

“Too many companies still don't guarantee these vital workplace protections, and too many LGBT people--transgender people in particular--face high rates of unemployment and discrimination in hiring, keeping them from ever getting a foot in the door in the first place," he said.

The CEI ratings are based on criteria falling under five broad categories:

Non-discrimination policies

Employment benefits

Demonstrated organizational competency and accountability around LGBT diversity and inclusion

Public commitment to LGBT equality

Responsible citizenship

The full report, including a searchable employer database is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.