January 7, 2000

Lee R. Raymond
Chairman, CEO and President
ExxonMobil Corporation
5959 Las Colinas Boulevard
Irving, TX  75039-2298

Dear Mr. Raymond:

I am writing to you because I recently learned of several disturbing policy changes that are an outgrowth of the ExonMobil merger.  Not only will 16,000 workers lose their jobs, but those employees that remain will not have the protection of an explicit sexual orientation non-discrimination policy and new employees will not have access to domestic partnership benefits.

These changes are especially egregious considering Mobil has successfully provided its employees with domestic partnership benefits and included sexual orientation as a category in its non-discrimination policy.  Like Mobil, such profitable oil companies as Shell, Chevron, and BP Amoco and 7 of the Fortune 500 companies, have also provided these same benefits.  Instead of joining us in the new Millenium, these policies leave ExxonMobil back in the dark ages.

I have heard your claims that ExxonMobil cannot determine whether a relationship would be eligible for benefits, therefore benefits will only be offered to those with valid marital status.  As I am sure you are aware, current law prohibits states from recognizing same-sex marriages, so same-sex couples could never achieve recognized marital status.  Which means that your policy penalizes new employees with non-traditional families, placing them at a serious financial disadvantage.

I am hard pressed to understand how ExxonMobil will be unable to administratively deal with the question of domestic partnership.  Is ExxonMobil so much less capable than Microsoft, Bell Atlantic, Xerox or the scores of other major corporations, which have successfully implemented domestic partnership programs?

In addition, revoking an explicit ban on discrimination against gays and lesbians denies the reality of intolerance and bigotry that gays and lesbians continue to face in their jobs, in restaurants, and even in their homes.  Policies of non-discrimination help promote the notion that no individual should be judged or punished on the basis of their sexual orientation, but rather should be treated fairly.

I urge you to reconsider these policy changes and offer a full benefit package to all your employees as well as adding “sexual orientation” to your non-discrimination policy.  I look forward to hearing from you soon on this matter.

Sincerely,

Deborah J. Glick
Assemblymember

Cc:       New York City Comptroller Alan Hevesi
            Empire State Pride Agenda
            Diane Bratcher, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility