The Greater London Authority has been named the UK’s third best workplace for gay and lesbian employees in a list published by the gay rights organisation Stonewall.
The capital’s transport body TfL also made the list coming 8th, up from 58th last year.
The GLA has are two officers with dedicated remits to promote sexual orientation equality with all new GLA staff required to attend a compulsory training course where the equalities standard expected of all employees is explained.
Staff also receive diversity awareness training and are taught to consider the needs of Lesbian and Gay Londoners when developing policies, strategies or projects.
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said he was “grateful” to Stonewall for recognising the GLA and TFL’s efforts “in promoting lesbian and gay equality”.
Mr Livingstone has a long history of supporting gay rights. The GLA established the UK’s first partnership register and in 2004 the Mayor and TfL tackled holiday company Sandals over adverts which carried a strapline ‘mixed sex couples only’.
More recently Mr Livingstone has condemned officials in Moscow and Estonia for failing to support Gay Pride marches.
