Harley-Davidson caves to right-wingers & drops affiliation with LGBTQ+ organization

Harley-Davidson announced yesterday that it is ending its diversity and other progressive initiatives at the company, joining the leagues of John Deere and Tractor Supply Co.

The company has been under attack from conservative Twitter “activist” Robby Starbuck, who led a campaign against Harley-Davidson.

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“We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community,” the company wrote in a statement posted on X. It noted that “we have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and we do not have a DEI function today. We do not have hiring quotas and we no longer have supplier diversity spend goals.”

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Harley Davidson said it would review all sponsorships and outside organizations the company affiliates with, and the company will have all sponsorships approved by the company or Harley Davidson Foundation. It also said it will no longer involve itself with the Human Rights Campaign.

Starbuck started posting about the company almost a month ago, on July 23rd. “It’s time to expose Harley Davidson,” Starbuck said, declaring that the company has “gone totally woke.”

He said that some of these “totally woke” actions include sponsoring a boot camp for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, donating to United Way, and making efforts to increase diversity in its workforce.

“We believe having both a broad employee and customer base is good for business and that ultimately everybody should experience the joy of riding a Harley-Davidson,” the company said in its Monday statement. “We remain committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue on our journey together as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world.”

Starbuck posted on X that it was “Another win for our movement. I couldn’t do this without all of you.”

“Decisions to cut Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives send a clear signal to employees that their employers simply don’t care about equality in the workplace,” HRC said in a statement. “Harley-Davidson’s choice to back away from the Corporate Equality Index is an impulsive decision fueled by fringe right-wing actors and MAGA extremists who believe they can bully their way into dismantling initiatives that help everyone thrive in the workplace. With nearly 30% of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+ and the community wielding $1.4 trillion in spending power, retreating from these principles undermines both consumer trust and employee success.”

In late June, Tractor Supply Co. also was the subject of a Starbuck campaign and announced that they would end “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion” (DEI) programs, stop sponsoring Pride events, and withdraw from carbon emission goals.

Just a couple of weeks later, John Deere said it would no longer participate in “social or cultural awareness parades” and remove all “socially motivated messages” from its training materials and workplace policies after Starbuck took aim at the company.

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