Lowe’s is scaling back on its messaging in support of LGBTQ inclusion, with the home improvement retailer following similar steps by Harley-Davidson, John Deere & Co. and Tractor Supply in reducing diversity policies.
Lowe’s told employees in a memo widely shared among news organizations that they would no longer participate in surveys for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), an LGBTQ advocacy group. Lowe’s also said it would stop sponsoring and participating in community events such as festivals and parades, and would combine groups representing different workers into a single group.
The company recently sponsored a pride parade in Charlotte, North Carolina like 2019 and got a perfect one do in HRC’s 2023 corporate equity index that looks at policies that protect LGBTQ employees.
Lowe’s still ran one web page devoted to its diversity work starting Tuesday afternoon.
The self-proclaimed head of a campaign to pressure companies to abandon DEI initiatives is Robby Starbuck, a video streamer and right-wing activist. In one post on social media, Starbuck claimed Monday that he triggered the changes at Lowe’s by telling the retailer to pay attention to what he called its “woke” policy.
The retailer confirmed the changes, but stated they came as a result of a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that banned affirmative action at universities. “We may make further changes over time,” a spokesperson said.
American companies adopted DEI policies and programs in the wake of George Floyd’s murder 2020.