Since June, a mounting number of companies have pulled back on their corporate commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Tractor Supply and John Deere were some of the first companies to do so, reversing some of their DEI policies and pulling sponsorship of Pride events and other “social or cultural awareness” events. In the months since, several others have followed suit—including Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, and Ford—and revoked their participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which evaluates companies on how inclusive they are of LGBTQ+ employees.
Now, Toyota is joining their ranks, as the latest target of an anti-DEI push spearheaded by conservative activist Robby Starbuck. The automaker will no longer sponsor LGBTQ+ events and plans to “narrow our community activities to align with STEM education and workforce readiness,” according to a Bloomberg report.
Like other companies, Toyota will also no longer participate in the Corporate Equality Index. In a letter announcing these changes to employees and dealers, Toyota referenced a “highly politicized discussion” of corporate DEI efforts, Bloomberg reported.
As with other companies, this about-face seems to have been catalyzed by Starbuck’s online campaign against Toyota. The activist drew attention to Toyota’s DEI policies and support for LGBTQ+ employees in a social media post last week, encouraging customers to share their concerns with the company. (Toyota had previously said that Starbuck’s post only prompted a handful of queries from employees, dealers, and customers, calling the effect “negligible.”)
While Toyota and other companies seem to be caving to public pressure, employers across corporate America have quietly taken similar steps in recent years. Since the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in 2023, conservative activists have set their sights on the workplace, bringing lawsuits over claims of reverse discrimination.
As Fast Company has previously reported, some companies had already started pulling back on their DEI commitments prior to 2023. In the aftermath of the affirmative action ruling, however, the growing fear of litigation has prompted many others to make more substantial changes to their DEI policies and alter recruitment programs that were intended to promote diversity. It’s little surprise that in this climate, companies like Toyota are more vulnerable to campaigns to dismantle their DEI efforts.