Ford, Lowe's join other big companies in backing off DEI policies amid conservative criticism
Ford Motor is the most recent large corporation to scale back on its messaging in support of LGBTQ inclusion, with the automaker following similar steps by Lowe's, Harley-Davidson, John Deere & Co. and Tractor Supply in downsizing diversity policies.
"We made the decision early this year to stop participating in external culture surveys such as the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index and various 'best places to work' lists," Ford said in a memo posted on social media by an anti-DEI activist.
Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson accused the company of abandoning its commitment to hundreds of thousands of employees, saying the company was "signaling that inclusion and other core values are no longer a priority in the workplace."
Ford did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The development comes after Lowe's told employees in a memo widely shared among news organizations that it would no longer take part in surveys for the HRC, an LGBTQ advocacy group. Lowe's also said it would stop sponsoring and taking part in community events like festivals and parades, and would combine groups representing diverse workers into one single group.
The home-improvement retailer sponsored a pride parade in Charlotte, North Carolina, as recently as 2019 and garnered a perfect score in HRC's 2023 corporate equity index which looks at policies that protect LGBTQ employees.
Lowe's was still running a webpage devoted to its diversity efforts as of Wednesday afternoon.
The self-designated head of a campaign to pressure companies to drop DEI initiatives is Robby Starbuck, a video streamer and right-wing activist. In a post on social media, Starbuck on Monday claimed he sparked the changes at Lowe's by telling the retailer he would call attention to what he called its "woke" policies.
The retailer confirmed the changes, but stated that they came as a result of a Supreme Court decision in 2023 banning affirmative action at universities. "We may make additional changes over time," a spokesperson stated.
HRC said the moves by Lowe's and other firms hold potentially negative ramifications for their businesses.
"Hasty, shortsighted decisions contrary to safe and inclusive workplaces will create a snowball effect of negative long-term consequences for companies, cutting them off from top talent, turning off LGBTQ+ and other consumers and impacting companies' bottom line," said Orlando Gonzales, HRC's senior vice president of programs, research and training.
U.S. companies adopted DEI policies and programs in the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020.