It has become a sure sign of fall, as G.A.Y. blog points out, when Human Rights Campaign releases the results of its annual survey of corporate policies toward LGBT employees.

The Corporate Equality Index, which this year rates 519 businesses, measures the extent to which employers protect their LGBT employees. 195 companies on this year's survey earned perfect scores on the HRC criteria compared to 138 in last year's version and only 13 on the first survey in 2002. (A larger group of employers has been rated each year.)

The Index rates employers on a scale from 0 to 100 percent on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. The 195 businesses that met all of the criteria employ more than 8.3 million workers, according to HRC.

Local companies did fairly well in the survey with several companies -- Microsoft, Starbucks, WAMU, Nordstrom, REI -- getting perfect scores. Chicago-based Boeing, and San Jose-based Adobe also get perfect scores.

Seattle-based WAMU is one of a minority banking/financial services companies with a perfect score. That's more significant because only 32% of 100 rated companies in that industry achieved the top rank. Bank of America, KeyBank, US Bank, and Wells Fargo also earn perfect scores.

For the first time, Cincinatti-based Macy's joins Nordstrom as one of eight out of 11 apparel/department stores with perfect scores.

Issaquah-based Costco scored a 93 because it doesn't offer some transgender health benefits that are included in the HRC criteria.

Seattle-based Amazon.com scores an 80 because it still fails to provide protection from bias because of gender identity or expression and don't offer diversity training on that issue.

Safeco Corp. earns a 75 rating because it doesn't offer benefits, bias protections, or diversity training for gender-identity issues. 14 of the 29 rated insurance companies on the survey garnered perfect ratings, putting Safeco in the middle of the pack for that industry, but far better than AIG's 30 rating.

Federal Way's Weyerhaeuser Co. is scored at 75 because it offers a limited array of health benefits to unmarried partners of employees.

Among many law firms on the survey, Seattle's Perkins Coie is scored at 85 because it doesn't offer benefits to transgender employees and doesn't include gender identity issues in its employee handbook.

Among the 57 companies that have newly achieved a perfect score of 100 percent are: Allstate Insurance Co.(ALL), Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS), Esurance Inc., J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (JCP), KeyCorp (KEY), Macy?s Inc. (M), Marriott International Inc. (MAR), Mastercard Inc. (MA), Waste Management Inc. (WMI) and Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO).

Although this year's version isn't yet available, HRC will eventually compile the survey results into a consumer-oriented brochure called "Buying for Equality". One company that remains firmly at the bottom in the current results is Houston-based Exxon Mobil which maintains its 0 rating -- making it one of the most hostile companies on the index. BP America and Chevron, by contrast, retain their perfect 100 ratings on this year's survey.

Cincinnati-based Kroger, which owns dominant local supermarket brands QFC and Fred Meyer, improved its score somewhat -- moving up to 75 from last year's miserable 35 rating. That score ties it with Safeway. The company that owns Albertson's -- SuperValue, Inc. -- gets a perfect score.