A leading gay rights group in the USA is accusing the newly merged ExxonMobil Corporation of dropping non-discrimination assurances and partner benefits for its gay employees as a result of
pressure from religious-right leader and Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer.

"The right wing has been in contact with Exxon on this issue and it`s influencing their language and their decision-making," said Wayne Besen, spokesman of the gay civil rights group Human Rights Campaign (HRC), in an interview today with the publication The List.

When asked whether the HRC believed Exxon caved to pressure from fundamentalist politicos, he responded: "We`re not certain whether they caved to them or they`re part of them."

In a highly criticised move, ExxonMobil announced on Tuesday that as part of the merger between the two oil giants, it would no longer offer new partner benefits to the company`s 121,000 employees (until now offered by Mobil), and that it would drop Mobil`s language prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Family Research Council, a fundamentalist Christian lobby created by Mr Bauer, praised ExxonMobil`s move and revealed yesterday that it sent a letter to Mobil CEO, Lucio A. Noto, in March of last year asking that domestic partner benefits be cut off to "radical" homosexuals.

The letter explained that such benefits were `a direct attack on the institution of the family`, that homosexuality was physically, emotionally and psychologically dangerous, that gays are more prone than heterosexuals to sadomasochism, suicide, substance abuse and domestic violence; that lesbians are prone to syphilis, genital warts, and scabies; and it linked gay rights to
paedophilia. FRC also indicated last night that it has generated "numerous" letters to Mobil on the issue.

Gay civil rights leaders are also frustrated by Exxon`s evasiveness on the subject.

"They flat out lied," said Mr Besen of HRC today. "They have flat out lied to people about their non-discrimination policy." Exxon`s customer relations department told angry customers via email last night that `Recent news reports stating that ExxonMobil has rescinded discrimination policies... are simply not true`.

The email states repeatedly that ExxonMobil opposes discrimination on `any basis`, but did not say that the company`s policies explicitly includes sexual orientation.

© 1999, 2001 Rainbow Network. All Rights Reserved. Partnered with New Media Spark