LGBTQ+ Alliance in Pharma: a manifesto for workplace inclusivity is launched"
According to data from ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, Italy ranks 35th out of 49 countries in terms of LGBTQ+ rights protection, with a score of just 24.41%—well below the European Union average of 51.13%. The path toward full equality still appears to be a long one. Despite the implementation of corporate DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies in recent years, many LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face daily discrimination in the workplace. This is confirmed by the most recent surveys conducted by Istat and Unar: 34.5% of LGBTQ+ employees reported experiencing at least one episode of discrimination during working hours, while 26% said that their sexual orientation had been a disadvantage in their workplace. The percentage is even higher when considering gender identity: 1 in 2 individuals reported being discriminated against at least once due to their gender identity while searching for a job. In this context—where workplaces remain discriminatory—there are, however, those who are striving to make a difference.
The biopharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) is the driving force behind the LGBTQ+ Alliance in Pharma, the first alliance in the Italian BioPharma sector dedicated to the protection of LGBTQ+ rights. The initiative was founded in partnership with Daiichi Sankyo Italia, Novartis Italia, Pfizer Srl, and Takeda Italia. “The launch of the Alliance stems from an in-depth internal effort,” said Federica Grassi, Associate Project Manager and Pride Alliance EMEA Cluster Lead at Bristol Myers Squibb Italy, “aimed at fostering a growing shared culture around LGBTQ+ topics and breaking down unconscious biases—often fueled by misinformation. We began to ask ourselves how we could have a positive impact not only externally, but also within our own industry. That’s how the ambitious and innovative idea of creating an alliance among BioPharma companies that believe in inclusion came to be. The goal is to engage in dialogue, inspire other organizations, and join our voices in support of the LGBTQ+ community—through a collective approach.”
The goals and core pillars of the Alliance are outlined in a new manifesto, which sets out three main challenges: raising awareness of LGBTQ+ issues within the BioPharma sector, having a positive impact on the broader external environment, and promoting practices that encourage authenticity in the workplace.
The LGBTQ+ Alliance in Pharma Manifesto
“It was a unique challenge to bring together five companies, each with different corporate cultures and internal processes, and to lead them from the idea of this innovative project to its actual development in less than a year,” added Grassi. “The enthusiasm and collaboration of all partner companies from the very beginning of the project confirmed that we were on the right path; I also observed great interest in this initiative at the international level, as a source of inspiration for new projects.” One of the goals the Alliance has set is to promote a shared culture around LGBTQ+ topics, in order to break down conscious and unconscious biases and foster greater awareness of LGBTQ+ rights protection within companies. In fact, it is often the lack of information that creates and reinforces prejudices, which can lead to discrimination. For the LGBTQ+ Alliance in Pharma, the focus must be on training and building alliances with other organizations. For this reason, it promotes voluntary training activities within companies, aimed at providing basic knowledge of DEI topics, with a specific focus on LGBTQ+ issues.
The Alliance is also committed to supporting organizations that protect the LGBTQ+ community, aiming to “implement initiatives designed to create a positive and tangible impact on society,” reads the Manifesto, “by fostering increased awareness and reducing homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia, and transphobia.” According to data from Trans Murder Monitoring, Italy ranks first among European Union countries for transphobic murders.
The LGBTQ+ Alliance in Pharma promotes inclusive policies within organizations, encouraging the adoption of corporate practices that enable employees to work in a 100% inclusive environment. Among the practices carried out by the Alliance, where applicable, are: the implementation of alias identity (i.e., replacing one’s legal name with a chosen name that aligns with their gender identity); the extension of existing benefits to same-sex parent families; and the introduction of all-welcome toilets—restrooms without gender distinction.
According to the OECD, people in Italy work an average of 1,700 hours per year, meaning we spend countless hours in our workplaces. Yet, some individuals do not always feel included. The data confirms this. Let’s start again from the alliances that we all have the power to build.