Nissan receives perfect score in Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index for second consecutive year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan earned a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index for the second year in a row. In 2013, Nissan was among the fastest risers in the history of the index with a 70-point increase in just two years.

“Nissan has the most culturally diverse consumer base of any automotive manufacturer, and we know that to maintain that advantage we must focus on the human connection,” said Jeffrey Webster, director of Diversity and Inclusion at Nissan. “We concentrate our efforts on grassroots initiatives that give consumers the chance to interact with our vehicles and to have an open dialogue about what Nissan is doing in the LGBT community.”

 In August, Nissan sponsored the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association’s (NLGJA) national convention in Chicago and as a part of the event, Nissan hosted a charity ride-and-drive featuring the Nissan Altima and Rogue. For every person who took a spin in a Nissan, the company made a $25 donation to NLGJA’s Connect Student Journalism Project. After 100 test drives in two days, Nissan made a donation of $2,500 to help fund the program that gives college journalism students the opportunity to report on vital issues in the LGBT community.

Nissan’s LGBT employee resource group, the Gay-Straight Alliance at Nissan (GSAN), was one of the strongest factors behind Nissan’s perfect score in 2013, and it continues to be the driving force behind a large portion of the company’s LGBT community outreach.

In June, Nissan hosted an HRC Summit at Nissan North America’s headquarters in Nashville, where businesses and community leaders across middle Tennessee gathered to share best practices for LGBT inclusion in the workplace and in the community. GSAN leaders led the discussion on employee resource groups, highlighting their own recruiting efforts that helped the group gain more than 100 members in its first six months.

GSAN members also coordinated Nissan’s presence at Nashville’s largest Pride festival to date in June. The all-electric Nissan LEAF kicked off the event as the official pace car for the Nashville Pride Equality Walk, and Nissan had interactive car displays and ways to escape the summer heat for festival-goers.

In addition to having a highly engaged group of LGBT employees and allies, Nissan offers inclusive benefits and Championing Diversity workshops for employees, and the Diversity and Inclusion team works closely with advocacy groups such as the HRC to drive a culture of equality in the workplace.

The HRC Corporate Equality Index is a national benchmarking survey and report that evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBT community. Nissan was among 364 major U.S. businesses that earned a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality. For more information on the Corporate Equality Index, visit www.hrc.org/cei.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.2 million vehicles and generated revenue of 10.5 trillion yen (USD 105 billion) in fiscal 2013. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.

 For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

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Media Contact:

Paige Presley
Nissan Corporate Communications
(615) 725-6021
Paige.Presley@Nissan-USA.com