Johnson & Johnson

J&J 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 (1)(2). The company was a member of the GARM, a global media alliance that frequently demonetized and suppressed conservative content online. However, in April 2025, J&J pledged political and religious neutrality in its advertising (3)(4)(5)(6)(7). The company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its Responsibility Standards for Suppliers: The company expects its suppliers to “Establish and publicly report at least annually on science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals” (8). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Responsibility Standards for Suppliers require international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (9). However, the company has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (10).

J&J‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). The company does not appear to discriminate against religious organizations based on views or beliefs (3).

J&J’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 (1)(2). It rolled out global unconscious bias training for all its employees (3). In June 2025 America First Legal filed a letter with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights requesting a civil rights investigation into Johnson & Johnson over discriminatory practices in its supply chain and hiring (4). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (5).

J&J‘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 (1)(2). The company is a founding member of the PGLE which is an LGBTIQ+ equality and inclusion advocacy group. This reflects J&J’s commitment to “operationalize” company coverage of transgender surgery and treatment, the vetting of business partners based on LGBTQ+ policies, and the financial support of LGBTQ organizations on a global level (3)(4). It 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 (5). The company opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (6)(7). It spoke out against the Georgia voting integrity legislation (8). The company opposed legislation in Iowa intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (9). The company opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which would prohibit teaching gender identity and sexual orientation to kids in K-3rd grade (10). The company’s CEO Joaquin Duato is a member of the Business Roundtable and Former CEO Alex Gorsky signed its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders (11)(12). J&J’s CEO, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace (13)(14).

J&J 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 (1)(2)(3). The company‘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 (4)(5). The company was a member of the GARM, a global media alliance that frequently demonetized and suppressed conservative content online. However, in April 2025, J&J pledged political and religious neutrality in its advertising (6)(7)(8)(9)(10). The company was a Bronze 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 (11)(12)(13)(14)(15). The company was a bronze sponsor of the HRC and a corporate partner of the NGLCC (16)(17). It has a matching gift program to Planned Parenthood and has pledged $10 million over a span of three years to the BLM and/or related racial equity causes (18)(19)(20). The company is a member of the MCCA, indicating its focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees based on race (21)(22). It is a coalition member of OneTen, appearing to prioritize diversity over merit in its hiring (23)(24)(25). Johnson & Johnson and Johnson & Johnson Foundation is a corporate partner of Ashoka, a global network of entrepreneurs focused on widespread, systemic social and environmental change (26)(27). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (28).

J&J‘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). The company donated to the Equality PAC and has lobbied for the Equality Act (3)(4)(5).