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Our & Equal Workplace Advocates has presented New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. with its Champion Award for his consistent advocacy to pressure America’s largest companies to strengthen policies to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The national organization, which strives to create equality in the workplace for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees, presented the award at its annual summit in Austin, Texas on Friday, September 12.

Thompson thanked Out & Equal - the nation’s only non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to advancing workplace equality for LGBT people - for the honor.

“Being a champion means more than standing up. It means speaking out. It means remaining steadfast in your beliefs and your resolve – and never giving up,” he said. “I am proud that here in New York City, my office and the New York City Pension Funds have staunchly pressured corporate America to embrace and not shun socially responsible practices.”

As a result of the efforts of the Funds and Thompson, to date, 55 companies – most of them in the Fortune 500 - have amended their policies to include protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Just this year, Thompson and the Funds urged 24 companies to bar such discrimination, nearly twice as many proposals as in the previous proxy season; 11 already agreed to make that change.

“My office will not rest until we eradicate all forms of discrimination in the workplace,” Thompson said. “We will continue to fight for change until every company recognizes, values and protects the great diversity of our workforce. Again, I’d like to thank Out & Equal for all of your work, your commitment, and for this honor.”

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