Harley-Davidson ditches diversity programs after conservatives accuse company of going ‘totally woke’

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U.S. motorcyle brand Harley-Davidson downplayed its recent efforts at workplace diversity and inclusion, after it faced calls for a boycott from a high-profile conservative activist with a record of extracting change from well-known American companies.

In a statement on X on Monday, the company said it remained “commited” to diversity, but said it would no longer push for a more diverse supply chain or participate in a corporate evaluation scheme ranking companies on their diversity and inclusion (DEI).

“We see it as every leader’s role to ensure we have an employee base that reflects our customers and the geographies in which we operate,” the company wrote.

“That said, we have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and we do not have a DEI function today,” it continued. “We do not have hiring quotas and we no longer have supplier diversity spend goals.”

The company also insisted its employee training would only be “related to the needs of the business and be absent of socially motivated content.”

Harley also announced it would cease using the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index scoring system to evaluate its work.

“Decisions to cut DEI initiatives send a clear signal to employees that their employers simply don’t care about equality in the workplace. Putting politics ahead of workers and consumers only hurts the same folks that these businesses rely on,” HRC vice president of programs and corporate advocacy Eric Bloem told The Independent 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.”

Last month, Harley became a target of conservative activist and filmmaker Robby Starbuck, who accused the company of going “totally woke.”

In a video that’s garnered nearly 3 million views on X, Starbuck railed against the company for aspects including employees attending DEI trainings, an LGBT+ event being hosted at a company events venue, and its support of the Ride with Pride event, a gathering for LGBTQ motorcyle riders.

He also accused the company’s goal of achieving a greater diversity of suppliers as being “a fancy corporate speak way for saying less white people.”

In its statement, Harley only obliquely referenced the campaign.

“We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community,” the company wrote.

George Gatto, who owns a Pittsburgh area Harley store, told Bloomberg he had faced angry comments over the boycott effort, but didn’t personally feel persuaded by it, calling Starbuck a “politician just trying to get clicks.”

“My business in non-political. You are welcome to come here if you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or independent, we don’t even look at that,” he said. “It’s about riding motorcycles and having fun.”

Starbuck, who ran for Congress in 2022, greeted Harley’s statement on Monday by posting a meme showing him as the grim reaper going after “woke” corporations.

In recent months, other well-known American brands including Tractor Supply and John Deere have pulled back on DEI-related programming amid similar public campaigns from Starbuck.

Last year, Anheuser-Busch was the target of a similar backlash, after partnering with Dylan Mulvaney, an influencer who is transgender.