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Harley-Davidson released a statement Monday on X confirming it would scrap a number of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) measures.
Earlier in August, the motorcycle company said it was reviewing its corporate policies concerning DEI after a social media campaign led by conservative activist Robby Starbuck.
Starbuck, who has similarly led campaigns that prompted John Deere and Tractor Supply to roll back DEI policies, criticized Harley-Davidson for what he called a “woke” agenda.
In a video posted on X, Starbuck called on Harley-Davidson to end its sponsorship of events like Pride and to scrap training for employees on how to support LGBTQ+ employees.
What DEI policies is Harley-Davidson cutting?
Harley-Davidson’s statement reiterated the company has not had a DEI department since April 2024. “We do not have a DEI function today,” it said. “We do not have hiring quotas and we no longer have supplier diversity spend goals.”
After completing an internal stakeholder review, it has announced a raft of changes to cut back its DEI footprint even further.
The company’s business employee resource groups (BERGs) are being realigned to focus solely on “professional development, networking, and mentoring.”
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Harley-Davidson’s sponsorship of events such as LGBTQ+ Pride is also set to be abandoned, with all sponsorships now focused on “growing the sport of motorcycling” and retaining its community of customers—though the company will continue to support first responders, active military members, and veterans.
The company will no longer provide training programs that feature “socially motivated content,” instead only relating to the needs of the business. Harley-Davidson reiterated that only legally required training has ever been mandatory at the company.
It also will stop participating in a scheme run by the Human Rights Campaign that scores employers out of 100 on their LGBTQ+ acceptance.
Why are employers scrapping DEI programs?
Harley-Davidson emphasized that it will keep its guiding principle, ‘United We Ride.’
“We believe that having both a broad employee base and customer base is good for business… We remain committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue our journey together as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world,” the statement concluded.
Like its competitor Polaris, manufacturer of the Indian motorcycle, the company faced growing pressure from social media users and customers alike. Polaris cut all references to DEI from its web pages earlier in August, reasoning that “the phrase DE&I has evolved from a general term into something increasingly politicized with varying interpretations.”
Harley-Davidson’s statement suggested it felt pressured to respond to the campaign from Starbuck and other activists and customers. “We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley Davidson community,” it noted.
Starbuck hailed his latest victory as a “win for our movement.”
His earlier campaigns led to similar DEI cuts at Tractor Supply and John Deere.
In June, The Tractor Supply Company axed its DEI program and said it would divert attention away from “nonbusiness activities,” including sponsoring Pride festivals, toward investing in “rural America priorities.”
And in July, a similar campaign once again led by Starbuck prompted John Deere to announce a series of changes to its diversity measures, notably committing to stop participating in and supporting “social or culture awareness parades, festivals, or events” and redirecting the focus of its business resource groups.
After celebrating the statement from Harley-Davidson, Starbuck confirmed he plans to announce his next target, a company with a “very conservative customer base,” in the coming week.
But although the motorcycle company has joined a handful of other high-profile cases of companies canceling DEI programs, Starbuck and fellow anti-DEI activists are far from making a major dent in country-wide support for DEI. A report from Bridge Partners polling 400 US-based C-suite leaders and HR decision-makers found that 72% plan to enhance their DEI programs in the next 24 months.
Moreover, a 2024 Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that 61% of adults think DEI programs in the workplace are a good thing.
