Black Tie Dinner - North Texas' Premier GLBT Event

Press Release

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2010 BLACK TIE DINNER ANNOUNCES AMERICAN AIRLINES WILL RECEIVE ELIZABETH BIRCH EQUALITY AWARD

Dallas, Texas (April 5, 2010) - American Airlines will receive this year's Elizabeth Birch Equality Award, co-chairs of the 2010 Black Tie Dinner announced today. Airline executives will attend the 29th annual Black Tie Dinner to receive the prestigious award. The Dinner will be held on Saturday evening, November 6, 2009, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.

To honor national leaders, and in recognition of the inspirational leadership of former Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Elizabeth Birch, this award is given by discretion, no more than yearly, to an individual, organization or company that has made a significant contribution of national scope to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Elizabeth Birch received the first such award, as well as the distinction of having this recognition renamed in her honor. Past recipients of the Birch award include Showtime Networks/Robert Greenblatt, Alan Cumming, Sharon Stone, Bishop V. Gene Robinson and, last year, Judy Shepard.

"We are deeply honored to accept this special award and look forward to this year's Black Tie Dinner so much," said Denise Lynn, American Airlines' Vice President of Diversity & Leadership Strategies. "There is no greater embrace than that given by your hometown, and receiving the Elizabeth Birch Award will only magnify the pride we take in being part of the inclusive and welcoming fabric that makes up the people of Dallas and Fort Worth and the lives of all our employees."

For over a decade, Fort Worth-based American Airlines has been a pioneer in implementing fair-minded policies and practices for its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) customers and employees. American Airlines has consistently held the highest possible ranking on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index and is the only airline to achieve this distinction every year since its inception in 2002.

"The Dallas-Fort Worth market, is fortunate to have so many choices when it comes to travel," said Black Tie Dinner Co-Chair Ron Guillard. "American Airlines consistently proves that they want the loyal business of gays and lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people — and they work to earn it."

"American Airlines doesn't just talk the talk," Guillard said. "American established an entire gay and lesbian national marketing and sales team, called the Rainbow TeAAm. The team consists of travel specialists working with gay and lesbian community groups and national and local organizations to expertly handle our community's travel needs."

American Airlines boasts a long list of industry firsts: the first major airline to implement same-sex domestic partner benefits; the first to implement both sexual orientation and gender identity in its workplace nondiscrimination policies; the first to endorse the Employment Non- Discrimination Act; the first to have a company-recognized LGBT employee resource group, GLEAM; and the first to launch a dedicated LGBT-specific website, www.aa.com/rainbow.

"American Airlines is one of the leading corporate members of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association and is a founding corporate member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, as well as the first and only airline today to include LGBTowned businesses in its supplier diversity program," said Black Tie Dinner Co-Chair Nan Arnold.

"American Airlines remains the most gay-friendly of all U.S. airlines through its generous partnerships with the LGBT community, as well as its loyalty and respect for customers, employees and shareholders," Nan Arnold continued. "We're pleased to honor American Airlines for its unflagging commitment to diversity."

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