You Will Think Auto Makers R’ After the Gay$ }} Four auto brands are branded 'non-gay friendly

     By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

By AP

If you're gay, these days you must think that automakers simply love you. They take out ads in gay publications. They sponsor events. Some, like Subaru -- that's a 2012 Impreza shown at top -- say they get top marks when it comes to corporate ratings of treatment of gay and lesbian employees. But not all companies are doing as good of a job as Subaru, says Gaywheels.com, an established web site that covers automotive developments as they relate to gays and lesbians. Some are clearly more "gay-friendly" than others.

In particular, Gaywheels singles out the South Korean twin automakers, a Japanese brand and a German brand not for their cars or their ads, but their policies. The website says Hyundai and Kia, the two Korean brands; Suzuki and Porsche all fail to offer domestic-partner benefits for their gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender employees. They are "non-gay friendly," according to the site. "We urge you to take their policies towards their GLBT employees into consideration when shopping for your next vehicle," the site writes.

On a positive note, the website endorses a long list of automakers for their policies. The brands on the recommended list include Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Rolls-Royce, Saab, Scion, Mart, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

As for Subaru, the company earned the top rating in the 2011 Corporate Equality Index based on a survey from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The automaker says it is one of only 338 other major U.S. businesses that received top marks for their treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees and consumers.