EA Named to “Best Places to Work 2014” by Human Rights Campaign

2013 has been a very exciting year at EA for all of our LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bi-Sexual Transgender) colleagues, friends and family. Driven by our Diversity & Inclusion team, EA was involved in a number of initiatives focused on equality and today we are happy to announce that EA has once again scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) “Best Places to Work 2014” Corporate Equality Index. We are extremely proud of this achievement that recognizes corporate policies and practices that demonstrate a commitment to LGBT equality and inclusion.

In addition to this exciting achievement, EA was busy around the world throughout the year supporting local Pride Parades where our employees live and work. From San Francisco to Los Angeles, Seattle to Stockholm, Vancouver to Austin and finally in Orlando, everyone who came out to join EA and show their support and pride had an amazing time. In case you missed it, check out what each unique parade experience was like in our blog series and check out the video below to see what it was like at our Pride Parade celebrations.

But this year, EA employees went beyond Pride Parade celebrations and addressed hard issues that face the gaming community when it comes to equality. In February, we hosted the “Full Spectrum” event in New York that brought together thought leaders in our industry to discuss the challenges in creating LGBT characters inside of games as well as how to address issues that arise through player interaction. Our speakers from Tencent, the Ford Foundation, the ESA, HRC, CNN, KIXEYE, BioWare and others brought to life the myriad of issues that face the LGBT gaming community and shared stories with the hashtag #H8IsNotAGame. We hope to keep that conversation going in 2014.

EA also was an official sponsor of the first annual GaymerX convention held in San Francisco in August. This was not only the first year of this event but also the first convention of its kind targeted to LGBT gamers and their allies. EA employees also participated in panels at PAX Prime and GeekGirlCon in Seattle to discuss how creating more inclusive work cultures ultimately promote a more inclusive gaming experience.

The Humble Origin Bundle, which raised over $10.5 million total for six charities and Humble Bundle just a few months ago, allowed our gaming community to donate a portion of their proceeds to the Human Rights Campaign. Opening up support from our gaming community to make their voice heard was a powerful initiative that will have a lasting impact on human rights.

“We’re very proud that EA has been named a ‘Best Place to Work’ by HRC again this year and that our organization has been recognized for providing a workplace that is inclusive and where everyone feels welcome,” said Andre Chambers, head of Diversity & Inclusion at EA. “We look forward to continuing that tradition in 2014.”