How Boston Scientific PRIDE Thrives As An Influential ERG

One of the biggest economic drivers in the state of Minnesota is medical technology. Specifically, in medical devices. According to the state of Minnesota, there are more than 470 medical device establishments employing more than 32,600 people. No wonder why it is called Medical Alley.

Boston Scientific is one of the top companies in this state. Their global headquarters is located outside of Boston, yet its Minnesota workforce are among the 38,000 employees the company employs worldwide. The state has two key manufacturing facilities in Arden Hills and Maple Grove. Both locations also house the company’s only North American sites for their Institute for Advancing Science.

You may have heard the name or seen their facilities. You may have also seen them at Twin Cities Pride at Loring Park or in the Ashley Rukes Parade. But, do you really know Boston Scientific and their LGBTQ employee resource group, BSC PRIDE?

The roots of this group go back before the company acquired Guidant in 2006. As Scott Schuh, the MN PRIDE ERG Lead at Boston Scientific explained: “A small group of LGBT+ employees [at Guidant] began informal meetings with 3M LGBT employees around Domestic Partner Benefits.  Focus during that time was researching Fortune 500 companies, 100 Best to Work for and other resources in regard to Domestic Partner Benefits.  In 2004 the unofficial Triple G (Guidant Gay Group) had its first booth at Twin Cities Pride.”

The next year, Guidant’s ERG was made official with the name PACE, which stood for People Accepting and Celebrating Everyone. Schuh explained that they had weekly meetings but had to communicate via e-mail by blind copying addresses to ensure safety amongst its employees. The ERG was retained after the Boston Scientific acquisition. In April of 2019, the ERG’s name changed to PRIDE, which stands for Promoting Respecting, Inclusion, Diversity and Equality. According to Schuh, there are 20 chapters of PRIDE active in 24 countries within the company. Two of those chapters are located in the Twin Cities with members located at all three locations here.

In turn, Boston Scientific maintains its stance to protect its LGBTQ employees against discrimination. Schuh pointed out that Boston Scientific “was among 379 corporations and employer organizations that signed an Amicus Brief to urge the Supreme Court to strike down state bans on gay marriage (in 2015), and in 2019 signed another Amicus Brief in support of upholding inclusive federal non-discrimination policies.”

In addition, Schuh also mentioned that last year Boston Scientific “reaffirmed its commitment and support towards the LGBTQ+ community by addressing its stance against new anti-LGBTQ+ state legislation and signed a letter to support the Respect for Marriage Act.” This, among many actions the company has taken to assure its LGBTQ employees that they are welcomed at work by providing benefits that affirm both individual and families that are LGBTQ and providing resources to its management team to assure that these policies are upheld with guidance by the company’s Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team.

Schuh’s experience in being an out and proud LGBTQ employee when he was with at the company in the early 2000s. He left the company to return to it in 20108, becoming the ERG’s co-lead in Minnesota. Schuh observed how much a lot have changed and improved on the campuses in the few short years that he was gone.

There was a difference between being simply out and talking about within the company’s walls. When Schuh returned, the environment changed where he was able to talk openly about himself, his husband, and their interests.

Within the same walls at his workplace, Schuh now help drive the ERG “through meetings, volunteer activities (with Avenues for Youth, Bridge for Youth, Face to Face, and Clare Housing), key yearly events (including educational, informational, speakers, etc), partnering with other local employee resource groups for social activities, advocating for accessible all gender restrooms which included proper waste disposals, pronouns in Outlook, leadership involvement, and senior leadership interest in having PRIDE specific topics in various Town Halls.”

Boston Scientific has also earned some key DEI awards, including the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Index rating of 100%, the 2022 Catalyst Award for DEI Excellence, an award by Inclusive Workplace, being named Forbes 2022 Best Employer and Best Employers for Diversity, Best Places to work for Women Innovators.

Being a top-flight company in terms of LGBTQ employee engagement and a strong DEI strategy, Boston Scientific had some challenges in recent years. “Prior to COVID many of our events were site based and in person,” explained Schuh. “Since that time, we have moved to virtual platforms which has allowed us to leverage many of our chapters and bring a diverse offering and perspective to our membership.”

Schuh continued, “In Minnesota our membership list is over 400 employees.  As we have started to come back to having more members on campus, we are doing a hybrid approach for meetings and connecting with our teams.  Most recently, we hosted an onsite lunch and learn for QUEERSPACE Collective, a nonprofit organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ mentorship for youth in Minnesota.”  

The upshot of being visible at events, such as Twin Cities Pride, has helped Boston Scientific PRIDE tremendously at their Twin Cities locations. “Having more visible exposure has helped with candidate sourcing and the general view of Boston Scientific in the community,” explained Schuh.  “There were several individuals that approached us at our booth at Twin Cities Pride last year were surprised to see us attending Twin Cities Pride and being a sponsor last year because they had the perception that Boston Scientific was a conservative company.  Community members were amazed to hear about what we were doing both internally and externally in support of our LGBTQ+ neighbors.”

As for the future, Schuh stated that the PRIDE ERG will “continue to build the presence of BSC being an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community (locally & globally). Recovering from COVID, a shift from virtual to in-person events again to allow LGBTQ+ employees and allies to come together. (Re)building relationships with other local organizational DE&I groups and nonprofits for knowledge sharing and collaboration/volunteering opportunities.”

There is a lot to be said how an LGBTQ ERG can do so much to uplift their employees, the company, and the community all at once. From what we have seen from Boston Scientific’s PRIDE ERG here in the Twin Cities, they have proven to be a great supporter and corporate citizen in our own backyard.