Harley-Davidson condemned for distancing itself from diversity initiatives after backlash

Harley-Davidson has caved into pressure from right-wingers and become the latest brand to drop diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments.

The US motorcycle manufacturers became the centre of right-wing ire in July after conservative pundit Robby Starbuck drummed up outrage over the promotion of DEI efforts, in a post that gained more than three million views on X/Twitter.

“Harley-Davidson seems to have forgotten who their core customers are,” Starbuck said. “I don’t think the values at corporate reflect the values of nearly any Harley-Davidson bikers.

“Do Harley riders want the money they spend to be used by corporate to push an ideology that’s diametrically opposed to their own values?”

In recent weeks, Starbuck has also taken aim at rural retail chain Tractor Supply and tractor-making giant John Deere, with the latter eventually abandoning LGBTQ+ inclusion schemes.

In response to the backlash, Harley-Davidson issued a statement on X on Monday (19 August), saying it is “every leader’s role to ensure we have an employee base that reflects our customers and the geographies in which we operate”, adding: “That said, 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.”

Only employee training “related to the needs of the business,” would be carried out, and it will “be absent of socially motivated content”, the statement went on to say.

And in a clear reference to Starbuck’s campaign, it added: “We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the [past] few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community. As a company, we take this issue very seriously, and it is our responsibility to respond with clarity, action and facts.”

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) condemned the company’s response, accusing them of caving into “pressure from right-wing MAGA extremists” and “putting politics ahead of workers and motorcyclists by retreating from the values of diversity, equity and inclusion”.  

HRC’s vice-president of programmes and corporate advocacy, Eric Bloem, said: “Decisions to cut diversity, equity and inclusion 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. Harley-Davidson’s choice to back away from the Corporate Equality Index is an impulsive decision fuelled 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 per cent of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+, and the community wielding $1.4 trillion (£1.075 trillion) in spending power, retreating from these principles undermines both consumer trust and employee success.”

Commitments to diversity have become a lightning rod topic in American politics recently, with anti-LGBTQ+ groups and individuals boycotting various companies for supporting minority groups.

Last year, Bud Light became the most notable example after the beer brand collaborated with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Right-wingers boycotted the beer, with some seen smashing bottles on supermarket shelves while musician Kid Rock even made a video of himself shooting cans. 

After parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev reported that US sales of the beer had fallen dramatically, bosses at Bud Light said the brand would “stay in our lane”.

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