Exxon Bans Outside Flags, Like the Pride Banner, From Company Flagpoles

Some Exxon Mobil employees have flown a rainbow pride flag in the past, but will no longer be allowed to do so.

Exxon Mobil and its employee resource groups, which are employee-led affinity organizations that are generally blessed by employers, are not allowed by the new policy. Workers can display the pride flag and representations of other groups like Black Lives Matter on other areas of the company's properties.

The E.R.G. flags can be flown at Exxon Mobil's facilities around the world during signature months.

L.G.B.T.'s employee resource group has a logo with bubbles around the word PRIDE. Employees at Pride parades wear T-shirts with that logo on them.

Employees of Exxon declined to speak. J. Chris Martin, a former employee who used to head the resource group, said that a different flag featuring the Exxon logo on a rainbow background was flown at many company locations last year without question.

The employee resource groups were only consulted in a perfunctory way, because of momentary uneasiness with displaying a symbol of open-mindedness and support for long-suppressed voices.

They may say that nobody has lost anything, but the symbolism is unmistakable.

The Human Rights Campaign, an organization that works to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people, criticized the company for the policy. Our flag isn't just a representation of who we are. It is a staple of allyship.

Corporations have been pressed to be more outspoken on cultural and political issues. Disney has been involved in a fight with the governor of Florida over a new state law. Disney objected to the law, leading to the revocation of the special tax designation.

After it merged with Mobil, Exxon eliminated policies that prevented discrimination based on sexual orientation and provided benefits to same-sex couples. Exxon's rating in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index has risen to 85 out of 100, from negative 25, since it reinstituted those policies.

Krauss contributed to the report.