Embracing Inclusivity: How Biopharmas Connect With LGBTQ+ Employees

Abstract building over rainbow background/Taylor Tieden for BioSpace

Ramsey Johnson has seen firsthand the progress biopharma companies are making toward creating more inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ+ employees. The founder and president of OUTbio told BioSpace there’s been a lot of change since he launched his nonprofit for LGBTQ+ biotech professionals nine years ago. For example, back then, he noted, there was a lack of employee resource groups and DEI initiatives in the industry, prompting companies to partner with his group on LGBTQ+ events.

“OUTbio in the beginning kind of filled the void where an ERG probably should have been at some of these companies,” he said.

Johnson cited Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge, Mass.-based RNAi therapeutics company, as one of the organizations that collaborated with OUTbio before starting an ERG.

“Now, they’ve probably got one of the most enthusiastic and most engaged ERGs in the Boston-Cambridge area,” he said.

ERGs are more common than when OUTbio launched. Notably, most biotech employers (75%) have employee resource groups for LGBTQ+ employees, according to a 2024 BIO report in partnership with Korn Ferry.

A recent BioSpace report, The State of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in Life Sciences, also shed light on inclusion efforts at biopharma companies. When asked what they thought of their employers as related to DEIB, respondents in less represented groups took a dimmer view of diversity initiatives with one exception. Those whose noted their sexual orientation as bisexual, gay, queer, pansexual and/or lesbian were more likely to agree their company was committed to DEI, suggesting that companies are making positive strides toward being more inclusive to these individuals.

That said, the report also shared that 33% of respondents think discrimination based on sexual orientation is prevalent. Those who described their discrimination experiences cited issues including homophobia, not being hired because of their sexual orientation and being misgendered. These findings highlight the need for biopharmas to continue striving for inclusivity.

Percentage who agree

Source: BioSpace report, The State of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in Life Sciences

When it comes to creating inclusive workplaces, employee resource groups are just one option, but they’re a key offering, according to Johnson.

“It’s so important to show that companies are supportive of those communities, and people will research those things when they’re thinking about joining companies,” he said. “What kinds of ERGs or diversity and inclusion initiatives do companies have?”

Aside from ERGs, Johnson noted businesses can take other simple steps to demonstrate inclusivity, such as donating to organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community. For example, he shared that Alnylam, Moderna, Blueprint Medicines, Entrada Therapeutics, Eli Lilly and Ipsen have been long-term financial supporters of OUTbio.

Additional steps Johnson suggested include hosting LGBTQ+ events, marching in a Pride Parade and changing the company logo on LinkedIn during Pride Month in June.

Jayson Johnson, head of strategic partnerships and chief of staff at Genentech, a San Francisco-based biotech, told BioSpace there’s no one-size-fits all approach to cultivating inclusion.

“To meet the diverse needs of any organization within the biopharma industry and beyond, companies must take a holistic view and approach, combining many strategies and tactics that work together,” he said, sharing examples such as providing training and resources to combat bias, designing benefits with employees’ diverse needs in mind and leveraging inclusive language to reduce harm and reinforce respectful behaviors.

Some biopharma companies that are creating inclusive workplaces are earning recognition for their efforts. Through its 2023–2024 Corporate Equality Index, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation named nearly 20 biopharmas as Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion recipients. The index is a national benchmarking tool on corporate policies, practices and benefits pertinent to LGBTQ+ employees at mid- to large-sized businesses. Equality 100 Award winners earned top ratings—scores of 100—for taking concrete steps to ensure greater equity for LGBTQ+ workers and their families.

Biopharma companies that received Equality 100 awards for 2023–2024 include AbbVie, Amgen, Bayer, Biogen, Biomarin Pharmaceutical, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

There are multiple reasons it’s important for biopharma companies to be more inclusive, according to Jayson Johnson at Genentech. For example, he said, “By fostering environments in our workplaces where all employees can thrive authentically, including those who identify as LGBTQ+, we create the space for our people to do their best, most innovative work.”

Other reasons Johnson shared include driving better outcomes for people, patients, businesses and communities and shaping workplaces that better represent the increasingly diverse patients biopharmas seek to serve.

Genentech demonstrates inclusivity to its LGBTQ+ employees in several ways, including providing an employee resource group, gPride, which has over 1,000 members across several chapters. The group hosts events throughout the year to give LGBTQ+ employees a safe space to connect and build community. Later this month, it will coordinate a Genentech float and “Street Suite” for employees and families at the San Francisco Pride Parade, which the company has sponsored for over 20 years. Johnson noted that C-suite executives show their support at the event every year.

Other ways Genentech demonstrates inclusivity include:

• Offering benefits that support LGBTQ+ employees. In fact, Genentech extended benefits coverage to same-sex domestic partners in 1994. The company also offers gender-affirming coverage as well as fertility and family-formation benefits, which Johnson noted support every path to parenthood.
• Developing DEI tools and resources, such as a gender transition guide that provides information to people managers so they can support and provide a welcoming environment for nonbinary, transgender or transitioning employees.
• Offering employee self-paced workshops, such as the Gender Diversity and Understanding Pronouns Workshop, and facilitated classes, including Inclusive Leadership and LGBTQIA+ Allyship.

When it comes to biopharma companies being inclusive, Ramsey Johnson of OUTbio noted there’s always work to do. He said he’d like to see more LGBTQ+ professionals in the C-suite or on boards.

Representation in that area is low, according to the 2024 BIO report. For the report’s 16 participating companies that collect information on LGBTQ+ identifications of employees, people identifying as LGBTQ+ make up less than 1% of executives and all employees. However, BIO noted the percentages may understate overall representation if people declined to disclose their identifications to their employers.

In addition to seeing more LGBTQ+ professionals in the C-suite and on boards, Johnson said he’d like them to be out and visible.

“That’s what the people that asked to be part of our mentor program want,” Johnson said. “They want to see leaders that are out and are authentic and bringing 100% of themselves to work every day, that have had the careers that these young people that are just starting out in biopharma want to have.”

Angela Gabriel is content manager, life sciences careers, at BioSpace. You can reach her at angela.gabriel@biospace.com and follow her on LinkedIn.

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