Lowe’s follows Tractor Supply, Harley Davidson and John Deere in opting out of DEI initiatives

In an internal memo shared by Lowe’s with The Associated Press, its executive leadership said the retailer had begun “reviewing” its programs following the July 2023 court ruling and that the company recently decided to combine its resource groups, which were intended for “individual groups representing diverse sections of our associate population,” into a single umbrella organization.

The retailer will also no longer participate in an annual Human Rights Campaign survey that measures workplace inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees, and will also stop sponsoring and participating in events, such as festivals and parades, that take place outside of its business lines.

The changes were made to ensure Lowe’s policies are “lawful” and consistent with its commitment to “include everyone,” the memo said.

“We may make further changes over time,” the company’s management team said in the memo. “What will not change, however, is our commitment to our employees.”

Robby Starbuck, a conservative political commentator who has railed against companies like Tractor Supply and John Deere, claimed credit for the changes in a post on X on Monday, saying he reached out to a Lowe’s executive online last week and detailed his plans to “expose” the company on its hiring policies and other issues, such as LGBTQ+ employee resource groups and funding for Pride events.

Lowe’s spokesman Steve Salazar, however, refuted that claim in an email Tuesday, noting that Starbucks’ move came after the company “had already announced changes that had been in the works” internally. The company’s memo didn’t specify when exactly those changes were implemented, but said they were discussed at a meeting on Aug. 21.

Over the past week, Lowe’s has denied another claim that was shared on social media, in which a digitally altered image quoted Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison as saying that conservatives who don’t like the company’s values ​​should shop at rival Home Depot instead.

“Lowe’s CEO did not make this comment,” the company wrote on X in response to several users who shared the image. “Everyone is welcome at Lowe’s.”

For his part, Ellison has diversified the company’s ranks, adding more women and leaders of diverse ethnic backgrounds since he took the helm in 2018. Ellison, who is Black and grew up in a segregated rural area of ​​Tennessee, has also been outspoken about racism since the police killing of George Floyd, which sparked massive racial justice protests in 2020.

Criticism of these DEI policies has extended well beyond Lowe’s to companies across industries, including calls for boycotts on social media and legal attacks following the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision, which many anti-DEI activists want to use to set a similar precedent in the workplace.

Starbuck, who has a sizable following on X, has used the platform as a megaphone to target the DEI policies of Tractor Supply, farm equipment maker John Deere, motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson and whiskey maker Jack Daniels. In an interview with the AP last month, the 35-year-old Cuban-American said he had a list of companies he was considering posting about, but he was starting with those with traditionally conservative followings.

Following an online pressure campaign earlier this summer, Tractor Supply and John Deere rolled back some diversity measures. Last week, Harley-Davidson backtracked on its DEI policies, though the company noted in its announcement that it had not “implemented a DEI function since April 2024.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Jack Daniels parent company Brown-Forman said last week that it had “adjusted” its diversity and inclusion strategy to “ensure it continues to drive our business results while appropriately recognizing the current environment we find ourselves in.” Starbuck suggested on X that the company had acted preemptively after its team looked at employees’ LinkedIn profiles.

While these changes are welcomed by conservative activists, DEI advocates say that by caving to Starbuck and other right-wing figures, companies are essentially caving to hate.

“Racial justice and LGBTQ inclusion are, for lack of a better word, being kind of scapegoated by a small, organized effort that’s really trying to dictate how companies do business,” said Jen Stark, co-director of the Center for Business and Social Justice at BSR, a consulting network of more than 300 companies.

Stark said the current environment is challenging for companies, but noted that a majority of them are keeping their diversity and inclusion programs in place because they make good business sense. However, after last year’s Supreme Court decision, she noted that companies need to ensure their DEI programs are “on solid footing” and avoid over-correcting in the event of a backlash, which she said could cause further damage.

“This is not just a step backward for workplaces,” she said. “This is actually a step backward in how we normalize practices that remove barriers and obstacles for everyone.”

On Tuesday, the Human Rights Campaign, which Lowe’s is no longer partnering with under its new policy, blasted these DEI rollbacks and highlighted the potential impacts on companies’ bottom lines by excluding LGBTQ+ and other consumers.

Orlando Gonzales, HRC’s senior vice president of programs, research and education, called the changes “short-sighted decisions that are counterproductive to safe and inclusive workplaces” that would create a “snowball effect of long-term negative consequences.” Gonzales also took a specific swipe at Starbuck, saying that companies “shouldn’t take a chance on a stranger with no business experience” and that the activist was kicked out of the Tennessee Republican Party because he is “so extreme.”

Starbuck, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday, said last month that its list included companies perceived as middle-of-the-road or politically moderate, including Microsoft. For a company like the Starbucks coffee chain, by contrast, it would be “difficult to put pressure on them to boycott,” he said.

Stark noted that the outcome of the US election will also “turn the thermostat up or down” on the DEI debate. A second term for former President Donald Trump would likely increase pressure against DEI policies—many Trump supporters have already signaled ways they would like to see these practices dismantled—while his rival Kamala Harris could have the opposite effect.

Some companies are preparing for the prospect of potential changes to their federal contracts, for example, which have historically been an effective way to promote workplace fairness. Others may be considering changing language or finding new workarounds for existing programs.

“We could see a resurgence of DEI efforts or a retrenchment,” she said. “I think companies will continue to do this work in practice or in name, but the extent to which they come out publicly will depend on the landscape.”