This June marks Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month. At PhRMA, we’re proud to celebrate the diversity and inclusion of our LGBTQ+ colleagues and the patients our companies aim to help. As an industry driven by science, we believe diversity in the lab drives greater collaboration, scientific advancement and groundbreaking medicines impacting the lives of patients.
PhRMA is proud to have an employee resource group (ERG), The PRIDE Umbrella, which seeks to build a stronger culture, professional development and awareness of LGBTQ+ employees at PhRMA and welcome allies along the way. Under the leadership of the group’s co-chairs Dharia McGrew and John Nappi, the ERG is hosting educational events, social networking and raising funds for LGBTQ+ charities all month long.
Dharia and John recently reached out to PhRMA member companies to learn more about how some of them are supporting LGBTQ+ employees within their companies and the patients they aim to impact with advancements in medicine.
Alkermes
Alkermes is committed to taking actions, both big and small, that continue to demonstrate our steadfast commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2022, in addition to celebrating observances like Pride Month and hosting events for employees to hear directly from LGBTQ+ leaders, we provided financial support to groups like OutBio, PFLAG, BeLong To and others in recognition of their efforts to advocate for and support LGBTQ+ equality across the United States and Ireland. Pride@Work, our employee resource group for LGBTQ+ employees and allies will continue to guide our work in this space in 2023 and beyond as we work to ensure employees at Alkermes feel able to bring their authentic selves to work every day.
Amgen
Amgen, one of the world’s leading biotech companies, is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where employees feel a sense of belonging and can bring their whole selves to work. We recognize the significance and importance of LGBTQ+ rights, and at Amgen we are committed to inclusive practices that support and provide resources to our employees who are part of this community. Amgen has been ranked as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality by the Human Right’s Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index for seven consecutive years. Amgen has modernized language in our HR policies and guidelines to be more inclusive of employees who are transgender, gender non-conforming/nonbinary, or intersex (TGI), including by addressing considerations for transitioning at work. We do this because we believe that our differences lead to better science and all employees, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, are an asset in strengthening our global workforce and supporting our mission to serve patients.
Astellas
In collaboration with a very active LGBTQ+ Employee Impact Group and an engaged and visibly supportive Executive Committee, Astellas US has provided equal health care and benefits to the LGBTQ+ community as with all other employees for several years; our health care benefits are widely considered industry leading. We provide family building and parenting support services for non-traditional families. To better support mental health, we have formally introduced a policy respecting individuals who transition genders and support all gender identities.
Biogen
Biogen fosters a welcoming workplace for LGBTQ+ employees and their allies through the execution of inclusive programming, events, and advocacy. In recognition of Pride Month, we will raise the rainbow flag at our locations, participate in global pride parades, and hold programs at our affiliates around the world. We will also highlight the story of an employee who is undergoing gender-affirming care with the aspiration of raising awareness and understanding for the transgender experience and how Biogen supports a culture of belonging.
Bristol Myers Squibb
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) leads with its Value of Inclusion by creating a company culture that enables our LGBTQ+ colleagues to bring their authentic selves to the workplace, instituting progressive workplace policies and benefits and enabling ally education. BMS and our PRIDE Alliance People & Business Resource Group (PBRG) are proud to support the LGBTQ+ community by making meaningful investments to support LGBTQ+ health equity.
CSL
At CSL as part of our promising future, we are fostering an inclusive culture with training for all employees to explore the concepts behind LGBTQIA+ identity, the workplace issues members of the community face, and how to be an ally to support inclusion and a sense of belonging for all. We have also engaged colleagues to share their perspectives and experiences in a video to raise awareness and widen views. We support our employees by including domestic partners in company health care benefits as well as our caregiver, parental and bereavement leave policies; last year we added coverage of family forming benefits and expanded gender affirmation coverage, and this year we implemented Lyra mental health benefits which has specialists with LGBTQ experience.
Daiichi Sankyo
As Daiichi Sankyo seeks to fulfill its purpose to create new standards of care, we are committed to an inclusive and diverse organization as well as a culture of equity and belonging that fuels exceptional value for patients, our employees and business. Our employee benefits programs provide for the unique needs of our diverse employees, including the LGBTQ+ population. Every June, we recognize Pride month around the globe by celebrating stories from our LGBTQ+ employees and allies and raising the rainbow flag in our office buildings in solidarity. As part of our inclusive business practices, we must ensure that our clinical trials are available to a diverse range of patients and that the demographics of our studies reflect the real-world demographics of a given condition.
EMD Serono
At EMD Serono, as well as at MilliporeSigma and EMD Electronics, our life science and electronics businesses in the U.S., our company will be participating in four Pride parades across the country to support our LGBTQ+ employees and allies. Additionally, our Rainbow Network employee resource group will host several internal events discussing LGBTQ+ topics, including LGBTQ+ parenting and families, and the intersectionality of Multiple Sclerosis and the LGBTQ+ patient population. We also will continue to bring awareness internally to the LGBTQ+-inclusive benefits our company offers, particularly gender affirming services and family planning programs.
Genentech
Genentech has long supported LGBTQ+ rights within and beyond our walls – from being one of the first companies to extend benefits coverage to employees’ same-sex domestic partners in 1994 to partnering with a wide array of organizations advocating for the inclusive and equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ communities and patients. We have been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as one of the best places to work for LGBTQ+ employees, earning a top score of 100 in their Corporate Equality Index for 16 consecutive years. This is a reflection of our commitment to sustaining an environment in which employees can show up as their authentic selves regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. By addressing the unique needs of our LGBTQ+ employees, we are fostering a culture of belonging for all of our employees to thrive.
Gilead
Gilead’s decades-long history of advancing health care for the LGBTQ+ community includes our pioneering research and development of therapies for HIV, which continues to disproportionately impact this community, with the ultimate goal of ending the epidemic for everyone, everywhere. Gilead is also committed to partnering with LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations to address HIV and emerging threats facing the LGBTQ+ community. Equally Gilead has a deep commitment to improving health equity and reducing stigma associated with HIV, such as supporting community organizations serving those most impacted by HIV and working to improve access to care — including those in the U.S. South where HIV is most prevalent, and through Gilead’s TRANScend Community Impact Fund, aimed at improving the safety, health and wellness of the transgender community.
GSK
GSK’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG), Spectrum, has a 25+ year reputation of advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion through advocacy and activism. Leveraging impactful speaker series, awareness campaigns; and insights related to social issues that impact the LGBTQ+ community, it offers year-round thought-leadership and educational resources that serve as catalysts to activate allies and remove barriers to access to health care. The work of the ERG is vital to ensuring everyone receives access to equitable treatment; free of bias.
Johnson and Johnson
For more than 30 years, Johnson & Johnson has been a leader in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community through its employee policies, business practices and advocacy.
The Company strives to create a workplace where LGBTQIA+ employees feel they can show up authentically — and that supports each individual and their families with inclusive policies and benefits. Recognizing the equality of all forms of families has long been a priority for Johnson & Johnson, dating back to when the company began granting domestic-partner benefits nearly 20 years ago. Today, the company offers assistance with fertility treatments as well as adoption and surrogacy to heterosexual and same-sex spouses alike.
Johnson & Johnson has more than 130,000 employees across the world and 12 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that help unite colleagues through their shared interests, identities, affinities and experiences. Open&Out is one of the fastest-growing ERGs at the company, with nearly 4,000 LGBTQIA+ employee and ally members across 100-plus chapters around the world.
Open&Out’s members are crucial sources of new and diverse ideas that can help the company not only build a stronger employee community overall but also enable the company to better serve diverse customers around the globe.
In 2023, Open&Out is commemorating its 30th anniversary. As part of the theme “30 Years Strong,” the group is paying homage to the efforts of thousands of employees who were pioneers in ensuring that meaningful inclusion remains at the forefront of Johnson & Johnson's company culture.
Lundbeck
For Lundbeck, supporting the LBGTQIA+ populations starts with our employees. This year, Lundbeck is launching our LBGTQIA+ employee resource group (ERG), called LuPride. LuPride offers engaging company events and content on our integrated digital channels. At Lundbeck, we understand that restoring brain health is only possible if we ensure inclusion and belonging within our organization, including those identifying as LGBTQIA+ community members.
Otsuka
At Otsuka, our commitment to the LGBTQ+ Community is driven by our DE&I vision to create an inclusive, equitable today and tomorrow for our people, patients, and communities. We know that many in the LGBTQ+ Community experience stigma, discrimination and bias in the health care system, which often leads to adverse outcomes. This is why Otsuka people work passionately every day to improve the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ patients faced with mental health, brain disease, nephrology, or neurology challenges by removing barriers to care, addressing health disparities, and ensuring equitable access to our resources, products, and clinical trials.
Pfizer
From offering enhanced employment benefits to our sponsorship of health equity initiatives and policy advocacy, we champion programs and policies that level the playing field for the LGBTQIA+ community. Our OPEN Colleague Resource Group offers mentoring as well as developmental and networking opportunities to help its members advance their careers at Pfizer. Our continued support for this community has earned us a 100 score every year since 2004 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Corporate Equality Index that evaluates U.S.-based businesses on their treatment of LGBTQIA+ consumers, employees, and investors.
Sage Therapeutics
At Sage, we’re dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture that enables a sense of belonging and innovative thinking. Our Business Resources Groups (BRGs) represent the unique voices, experiences, and backgrounds of employees, contributing to creating a workplace culture that is inclusive and offers networking, mentoring, and professional and personal development. SageLavender, our BRG dedicated to LGBTQIA+ Sageans, works to foster community and inclusivity through initiatives such as LGBTQIA+ speaking panels, Pride month social events, and working groups to discuss clinical trial diversity.
Sanofi
Sanofi is a proud supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. Sanofi’s support for the community includes philanthropic donations and local volunteerism in support of LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations; a robust PRIDE Connect employee resource group with over 1000 member promoting advocacy and awareness; as well as inclusive total wellbeing and benefits programs, such as medical coverage for gender affirming care and family-building benefits.
Takeda
Takeda proudly supports our LGBTQ+ employees around the world during pride month and all year long! Takeda’s employee resource group, Take Pride, serves as a visible resource for all Takeda employees- regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity to ensure that Takeda’s LGBTQ+ employees and allies feel safe, respected, and supported. The group’s focus this year is on community impact, strengthening the talent pipeline, networking and engagement, and cultural awareness and allyship. In support of pride month’s theme the “Power of Unity”, we will be celebrating the progress that’s been made while bringing awareness to the ongoing challenges the community continues to face with programming focused on how to unite and build an inclusive community, educate allies, and drive diversity. #PowerOfUnity2023.
UCB
Thanks to the support the focus of DEI in UCB's corporate strategy and the support provided to UCB’s Employee Resource Groups (ERG), UCB has created an environment where UCB+, as the ERG supporting UCB’s LGBTQ+ employees, can emerge and have a place at the table. UCB+ has actively participated in national and local meetings, raising awareness about the unique lived experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ employees. Furthermore, UCB+ was allowed to contribute to a global UCB DE&I Townhall and sit on a discussion panel with leadership to emphasize the importance of UCB+ within the ERG landscape. With UCB's backing, UCB+ marched it’s first Atlanta Pride in October 2022. Additionally, the organization is reaching out to community groups that support the LGBTQ+ community to explore volunteer opportunities and demonstrate UCB's tangible support for this community.
