The changes at Deere reflect the growing pressure companies are experiencing to scale back or eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, both from outside critics and U.S. courts. This comes as a wave of legal challenges are underway at dozens of companies, including giants like Starbucks, Meta and Pfizer.
It’s also another high-profile example of corporate stances on social issues creating tensions with customers. Deere and Tractor Supply’s moves come just a year after a boycott of Bud Light over its partnership with transgender influencer and actress Dylan Mulvaney. Target also faced a boycott and in-store confrontations over Pride Month merchandise last year, prompting the company to pull its collection from windows and remove some merchandise altogether.
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Deere & Co. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The company hasn’t rejected DEI outright: In its statement Tuesday, Deere said it would “continue to monitor and promote diversity within our organization” because it helps meet customer needs. The website still touts “our inclusive culture.”
The changes at Deere come following public pressure from Robby Starbuck, the conservative podcast host who led a boycott of Tractor Supply late last month over the company’s diversity policies.
Tractor Supply responded by eliminating diversity roles and pledging to stop providing data to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and to stop sponsoring Pride festivals and ballot initiatives. The move was met with cheers from conservative activists and consternation from others, including an animal shelter in New York, LGBTQ+ organizations and an association that aims to support black farmers.
Earlier in July, Starbuck posted a video criticizing a series of DEI initiatives at Deere, including the creation of “LGBTQ and race-based” employee resource groups as well as employee training that included anti-racism teachings from writers including Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi. Following Deere’s announcement, he posted on X saying the changes hadn’t gone far enough and that he would continue to speak out against corporate DEI efforts.
“DEI is poison, and we will not rest until the public knows how corporations have strayed from American values,” Starbuck wrote.
Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.
DEI encompasses a broad range of practices that proponents describe as ways to diversify businesses, schools, and organizations and ensure equal access to opportunities. It includes efforts such as recruitment and mentoring programs that target underrepresented groups, anti-bias training, and employee resource groups.
Critics of DEI programs say that racial and gender preferences are themselves discriminatory. Dozens of lawsuits challenging DEI policies in schools, government and businesses are winding through courts across the country, and Republican-led state legislatures are considering dozens of anti-DEI bills.
As clouds gather around DEI, some leading companies are making changes. In recent weeks, Microsoft cut a DEI team due to “changing business needs,” according to a report from Business Insider . Other giants including Tesla, X, Meta and Zoom have eliminated DEI roles as the climate around the work has changed.
“True systems change work that comes with DEI programs around the world is no longer mission critical or smart as it was in 2020,” said a Microsoft leader team in an email sent to thousands of employees, Business Insider reports.