At last we know why the corporate world has fallen in love with pretend woman Dylan Mulvaney. As I noted Thursday, he seems to be everywhere all at once, and it seems unlikely that corporate giants are suddenly so taken with Dylan’s charm and wit that they are spontaneously all at once falling over themselves to make him their pitchman. But now we know why there is this sudden imperative to make this man America’s sweetheart: corporations are being strong-armed into featuring him, or else.

The New York Post reported Friday that “executives at companies like Nike, Anheuser-Busch and Kate Spade, whose brand endorsements have turned controversial trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney into today’s woke ‘It girl,’ aren’t just virtue signaling.” Instead, they’re paying the modern-day equivalent of Mafia protection money, trying to keep the heat off their business: they’re hiring Dylan and making other displays of wokeness “because they have to — or risk failing an all-important social credit score that could make or break their businesses.” If they don’t inflict woke advertising campaigns on us, they’re liable to do damage to their Corporate Equality Index (CEI) score, which could be disastrous for their business.

Watching corporations and tallying up their CEI score is the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which the Post describes as “the largest LGBTQ+ political lobbying group in the world,” noting that it has gotten “millions” from George Soros’ far-Left Open Society Foundation. HRC gives corporations points for being gay-friendly and subtracts them for daring not to toe the woke line. It does this based on “rating criteria” that award up to 100 points for workplace features such as a “gender-neutral dress code” and “data collection forms” that feature “optional questions on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

The main CEI categories include “Workforce Protections,” “Inclusive Benefits,” “Supporting an Inclusive Culture,” “Corporate Social Responsibility,” and “Responsible Citizenship.” According to the Post, “businesses that attain the maximum 100 total points earn the coveted title ‘Best Place To Work For LGBTQ Equality.” The corporate giants have eagerly fallen into line: “Fifteen of the top 20 Fortune-ranked companies received 100% ratings last year, according to HRC data.” Nor is it just the top corporations: “More than 840 US companies racked up high CEI scores, according to the latest report.”

HRC doesn’t give a company a chance to dissent politely from the LGBTQ agenda: a sure way to get a low CEI score is, for example, not using a “supplier diversity program with demonstrated effort to include certified LGBTQ+ suppliers.” Compliance is strictly enforced. According to political commentator James Lindsay, the HRC “sends representatives to corporations every year telling them what kind of stuff they have to make visible at the company. They give them a list of demands and if they don’t follow through there’s a threat that you won’t keep your CEI score.” Entities such as the HRC issue threats because threats work, as we can see from the ubiquity of Dylan Mulvaney…..

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