It's that time of the year again: the ol' sleigh bells are a-warmin' and your plastic's a sweatin'.

It's also time for the naughty or nice list of retailers, definitely our favorite holiday tradition. Much better than the gifts or food or potential holiday sex.

In celebration, Human Rights Campaign has released a press release announcing the release - wow! that some was release! - of the poetically entitled, "Corporate Equality Index". On the pages within, one finds a rundown of which stores like the homos how much. Then homos can come together to raise their fists and/or wallets in fury and/or jubilation.

And isn't that what all the holiday season's all about? Togetherness. (And shopping.)

We've pasted most of the aforementioned press release after the jump. It's a bit...dry. If you're not one for all the media-friendly details, head on over to the HRC Buyer's Guide for the abridged version. Our gift to you.

As Black Friday Approaches, Human Rights Campaign Releases Buying for Equality 2007

During busy holiday shopping season, new guide gives consumers tool for buying products from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender friendly companies

WASHINGTON – As the official beginning of the holiday shopping season is set to start, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil rights organization, has released a new guide listing hundreds of popular American brands ranked on their company’s GLBT inclusiveness. The publication, “Buying for Equality”, breaks products into easily distinguishable purchasing categories. Companies and their products are compared using the criteria of the HRC Foundation’s nationally respected Corporate Equality Index, which evaluates GLBT workplace policies and practices.

“When the American consumer hits the malls the day after Thanksgiving, we hope our guide, ‘Buying for Equality’, will be in their hands,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Every single day, those who support equality have an opportunity to vote and put their values into action by utilizing their pocketbooks. Our community has billions of dollars worth of buying power and we intend to use it this holiday season. By purchasing products from companies supporting GLBT equality, you are sending a message that will be heard loud and clear.”

This is the second year the Human Rights Campaign has published “Buying for Equality”, a powerful tool to empower equality minded shoppers. Last year, the guide was downloaded off of HRC’s website (www.hrc.org/buyersguide) more than 250,000 times.

The popular guide draws comparisons between products, services and retail outlets that consumers use on a daily basis. For example, this year’s guide includes comparisons between retail giants Gap, which receives a “green” rating with a 100%, perfect, score, and Abercrombie & Fitch, which receives a “yellow” rating with only a 50% score.

The ratings are based upon the HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index which this year found, for the first time, more than half of Fortune 500 companies now offer domestic partnership benefits to their employees. Also, this nationally recognized report showed that 138 companies received a perfect 100% score this year – a ten fold increase in only four years.

Seventy percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are very or extremely likely to consider a brand that is known to provide equal workplace benefits for gay and lesbian employees, according to research by Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive.

“I encourage consumers this year to take a moment to support companies that support equality,” Solmonese continued. “This holiday season, each one of us can do our part to help secure equality for all Americans.”

The guide is available online at www.hrc.org/buyersguide. For high resolution photos of the products and their ratings, please visit www.hrc.org/buyersguide/photos.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.