Boston Scientific
Companies who scored 100% on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index.
Companies who scored 100% on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index.
Companies that scored a 100 on the 2026 Corporate Equality Index.
The biggest 1000 U.S. companies by revenue according to form 10-K.
Companies that offer so-called transgender healthcare for their employees and covered dependents.
Rating Overview
Rating Criteria
Rating Criteria Detail
Corporate Weaponization
Criteria:
Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.
Risk Level:
MediumRationale:
Boston Scientific received a score of 100 on the 2026 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2)(3). Boston Scientific‘s received a score of 100 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (4)(5). However, the company has not canceled business relationships based on political views or religious beliefs (6).
Criteria:
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Risk Level:
HighRationale:
Boston Scientific’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2)(3). Boston Scientific’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (4)(5). Boston Scientific will not support “Evangelizing activities of religious organizations” (6).
Criteria:
Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.
Risk Level:
HighRationale:
Boston Scientific’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend at least one, controversial training on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2)(3). Boston Scientific’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (4)(5). Boston Scientific’s Chairman and CEO Mike Mahoney signed Catalyst’s Champions for Change pledge, indicating its support of DEI in its leadership composition through the establishment of gender and racial targets (6)(7). The company is a signatory of the Gender & Diversity KPI Alliance, appearing to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender and racial targets for its leadership composition and its support of DEI in its hiring and promotions (8)(9). Boston Scientific requires all its employees to complete unconscious bias training (10). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (11).
Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria:
Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
Risk Level:
HighRationale:
Boston Scientific’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company potentially agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2)(3). Boston Scientific’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (4)(5). Boston Scientific signed an open letter endorsing the Equality Act, a contentious proposal to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act by adding sexual orientation and so-called gender identity as protected categories. The legislation would, among other implications, grant biological men access to women-only spaces such as sports teams and public restrooms, and compel healthcare providers to deliver sex-denying healthcare (6). The company was part of the Freedom for All Americans coalition, which advocated for federal legislation to overrule state laws designed to protect girls’ sports and similar laws (7). Boston Scientific used its social media platform to “urge Congress” to pass left-wing voting reform legislation (8). In late 2020, Boston Scientific paid for “anti-racism” billboards that bore the company’s name around the city of Boston (9). The company’s CEO also signed the CEO Action for Racial Equity, which supports legislative and social left-wing movements (10). Boston Scientific opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (11)(12). The company opposed legislation in Iowa intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (13). Boston Scientific opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which would prohibit teaching gender identity and sexual orientation to kids in K-3rd grade (14). The company’s CEO, Michael Mahoney, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (15)(16).
Criteria:
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
Risk Level:
HighRationale:
Boston Scientific’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits, lab monitoring, and mental health benefits. The company also covers at least five of the following services: reconstructive hair removal, cosmetic hair removal, tracheal shave or reduction, facial surgeries, voice modification surgery, voice modification therapy, lipoplasty or filling for body masculinization or feminization, and travel and lodging expenses. Additionally, the company has potentially pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2)(3)(4). Boston Scientific’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (5)(6). Boston Scientific has pledged $3.5 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes (7)(8). The company is a bronze sponsor of the HRC (9). Boston Scientific sponsors company-wide Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) events and is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) (10)(11). Boston Scientific is a partner of the HRC’s Foundation (12)(13). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (14).
Criteria:
Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
Risk Level:
HighRationale:
Boston Scientific‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Boston Scientific donated to the Equality PAC and lobbied for the Equality Act (3)(4)(5).