Lowe's joins other big companies in backing off DEI policies amid conservative criticism
Lowe's is scaling back on its messaging in support of LGBTQ inclusion, with the home improvement retailer following similar steps by Harley-Davidson, John Deere & Co. and Tractor Supply in downsizing diversity policies.
Lowe's told employees in a memo widely shared among news organizations that it would no longer take part in surveys for the Human Rights Campaign (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 company 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 Tuesday 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.