OREANDA-NEWS. United Airlines was named one of the "Top Companies for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Equality" for 2013 by Work Life Matters magazine at an awards gala in New York City on Thursday evening. The annual award is presented to U.S. companies that lead their industries in developing programs and policies that support LGBT employees and promote workplace equality.

United has long supported programs that promote LGBT awareness and inclusion. Earlier this year, the company received the Business Leadership Award from Equality Illinois, the state's oldest and largest LGBT advocacy group. United has also been named a "Best Place to Work" by the Human Rights Campaign five years in a row, and scored a 100 percent rating on the organization's Corporate Equality Index.

While several companies were recognized by Work Life Matters for their LGBT-friendly policies and initiatives, United received the magazine's top honor for the travel category. "We are pleased to honor each of these leading firms for serving as corporate pioneers by supporting the advancement of LGBT equality within their own organizations, as well as to the community-at-large," said Lori Sokol, Ph.D., founder and publisher of Work Life Matters.