12 companies that fell to the right’s anti-vigilante agenda and rolled back DEI programs

In their place is a new section that broadly proclaims that Amazon is “committed to creating a diverse and inclusive company that helps us build the best selection of products and services for our broad customer base.” The page has also been updated to include a statement proclaiming that generative AI programs “will transform virtually every customer experience and industry.”

McDonald’s

On January 6, the McDonald’s company announced in a declaration that it would soon scale back or completely withdraw several of its diversity programs. The company will no longer set “aspirational representation targets” and has ended its “mutual commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion”, which it established in 2021. Instead, representatives wrote, the company will look to “embed inclusion practices” and develop a “more integrated discussion with suppliers about inclusion.”

The McDonald’s statement specifically referenced the 2023 case Students for Fair Admissions v Harvardwith representatives noting that the company “assessed the changing legal landscape” in the wake of the decision to ensure it remained compliant with the law. The company’s statement still emphasized that McDonald’s “commitment to inclusion is unwavering.” (The fast-food empire has also faced increasing pressure from the left as a primary target of the pro-Palestine Boycott, divestment and sanctions movement or BDS; McDonald’s Malaysian operators withdrew their $1.27 million lawsuit against BDS activists last March.)

Walmart

At the end of November 2024, Walmart representatives confirmed to the Associated Press that the company would roll back several DEI programs and partnerships, with several such changes directly related to LGBTQ+ groups. In particular, the company said it will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) “Equality Index”, will no longer take race or gender into account when offering contracts to suppliers, and will “review” corporate grants given to Pride events to ensure that “a family pavilion is not next to a drag show,” representatives confirmed to the AP.

Boeing

In the middle of an extended fraud scandal about the safety of their 737 MAX aircraft, right-wing media built a narrative accuses Boeing of sacrifices flight safety to satisfy their DEI department. Some even went so far as to claim that the increase in Boeing accidents in the air was actually consciouswith James Lindsay – the anti-LGBTQ+ ideologue who believes “neonatal queer theory” is a thing – claiming on Joe Rogan’s podcast that Boeing “could deliberately commit suicide” because it was “locked in by this ESG/ DEI stuff.” (Contrary to Elon Musk’s claim that “people will die because of DEI,” Vox noted last January that no airline industry experts have ever cited diversity and equity programs as negatively impacting flight safety.) In November 2024, This was announced by Boeing it would merge its diversity office with another human resources department, while former department head Sara Liang Bowen confirmed she had left the company in a posting on LinkedIn.

Toyota

In October 2024, Japanese-owned automaker Toyota announced that it would “narrow our community activities to align with STEM education and workforce readiness” in an internal memo to American workers, which Bloomberg reported at the time. Management specifically noted that the company would cease participating in HRC’s Equality Index and similar surveys, citing “a highly politicized discussion” around LGBTQ+ rights. Starbuck claimed Toyota’s decline was the result of a pressure campaign he began the week before, but a Toyota spokesman told Bloomberg in a statement that the campaign had a “negligible” impact on the company’s decision.

Coors

Brewer Molson Coors announced in September 2024 that it would no longer participate in the Gender Equality Index or similar surveys and would eliminate its supplier diversity quotas, saying such standards were “complicated and influenced by factors beyond (the company’s) control.” i an internal memo obtained by CNBC. Coor’s management said its charitable donations, which previously included a LGBTQ+ philanthropic program called “Tap Into Change”, would be refocused to reflect its “core business objectives”, such as preventing alcohol abuse.

Lowe’s

In late August 2024, home improvement chain Lowe’s confirmed it would scale back its LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion programs. Lowe’s will no longer sponsor LGBTQ+ Pride or other events, and has reduced its participation in the Equality Index, management said in a memo, citing the Harvard decision as a primary motivation for the change. A Lowe’s spokesman said another anti-DEI pressure campaign launched by Robby Starbuck did not play a role in the company’s decision, saying Lowe’s had “already announced changes that had been long in process” prior to Starbucks’ online involvement.

Ford

In an email to workers obtained by CNN in August 2024, Ford CEO Jim Farley said that his company had already “shifted” the focus of its employee task forces away from DEI and specifically withdrawn from HRC’s Equality Index. Farley wrote that he was “aware that our employees and customers hold a wide range of beliefs,” adding generally that “(the) external and legal environment related to political and social issues continues to evolve” and referring to Ford as “a pioneer in providing opportunities for people around the world of all races, genders and backgrounds.”

Brown-Foreman

The parent company of Kentucky-based distiller Jack Daniels, Brown-Foreman management told employees in an internal email that it would remove “quantitative ambitions for workforce and supplier diversity” going forward and would no longer participate in the Equality Index survey, which Louisville Public Media confirmed.