Gilead Sciences

Gilead 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) The company 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). Gilead integrates ESG into its business practices. From its Supplier Code of Conduct: “[Suppliers shall manage] emissions and discharges, including greenhouse gas emissions, within their own operations, as well as striving to manage and reduce those associated with their supply chain” (6). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Supplier Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (7). However, Gilead has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (8).

Gilead’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). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (4)(5). Gilead’s corporate giving guidelines require that organizations abide by its nondiscrimination policy, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, thereby excluding some religious charities (6). The company likely uses Benevity as its charitable giving platform. Benevity vets charities according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate List, which includes mainstream libertarian, conservative, family, and religious advocacy organizations (7)(8)(9).

Gilead’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) The company’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). Gilead appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its 2025 Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter: “As part of the search process for each new director, the Committee seeks to include, and instructs any search firm it engages to seek to include, qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds in the pool of potential director candidates” (6). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (7).

Gilead’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). The company’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). Gilead 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 also spoke out against what it called “voter suppression” in various conservative states as those states amended their election laws after the pandemic (7). The letter called for boycotting events in those states and divesting business when possible. Gilead opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (8).

Gilead’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). The company provides a benefits package for employees that covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion and transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children (5)(6)(7)(8). Gilead’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 (9)(10). The company funded the HRC and is a partner of the HRC’s Foundation (11)(12). Gilead is a Platinum Tier corporate sponsor of the Trevor Project, an organization that advocates for controversial sex and gender ideology, including “gender transition” drugs and surgeries for minors, through legislation, litigation, advertising, and PR campaigns. The organization also hosts online chatrooms that allow adults to communicate with minors as young as 13 about sexually explicit topics. Adults in these chatrooms have encouraged minors to adopt transgender identities and withhold this information from their parents (13)(14)(15)(16)(17). The company is a Bronze sponsor of Out and Equal and is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (18)(19). Gilead has pledged $10 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and/or related causes (20)(21). The Gilead Foundation pledged to donate $1.5 million to reproductive health organizations (22). The company is a coalition member of OneTen, appearing to prioritize diversity over merit in its hiring (23)(24)(25). Gilead sponsored the following 13 events in 2025: Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride, Pridefest Milwaukee, Pride in the CLE, Philly Pride 365, Out! Raleigh Pride, One Magical Weekend, New Orleans Pridefest, Missoula Pride, Hillsboro Pride Festival, Henderson Pride Fest 2025, Cincinnati Pride, Baton Rouge Pride Fest 2025, Arlington Pride 2025 (26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38). In 2022, the company donated $500,000 to Southern Poverty Law Center Inc (39). In 2022, Gilead donated $250,000 to The Trevor Project Inc (40). In 2023, the company donated $250,000 to Southern Poverty Law Center Inc (41). In 2023, Gilead donated $250,000 to The Trevor Project Inc (42). In 2024, the company donated $250,000 to Southern Poverty Law Center Inc (43). In 2024, Gilead donated $250,000 to The Trevor Project Inc (44). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (45).

Gilead Sciences’ 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). The company donated to the Equality PAC but has not lobbied for ideological purposes (3)(4)(5).