Harley-Davidson Drops All LGBTQ Support
The motorcycle giant is the latest to cave to a right-wing campaign arguing that pro-LGBTQ policies are a betrayal of its customer base.
Motorcycle giant Harley-Davidson announced on Monday that it is ending its pro-diversity corporate initiatives following a campaign by right-wing influencers threatening to boycott the brand for so-called “woke” priorities.
That pressure campaign, carried out by online influencers for more than a month, was launched by Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist who was behind the push to have corporations with more conservative-leaning customer bases — including Tractor Supply Co. and farm equipment manufacturer John Deere — drop any “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives, which detractors claim are a form of “reverse racism.”
Starbuck accused Harley-Davidson of betraying the conservative values prized by most of their customers, citing the company’s support of LGBTQ Pride-themed events, pro-diversity initiatives, and efforts to combat climate change by pushing for more production of electric vehicles.
He also criticized the Milwaukee-based company’s support for the LGBT Chamber of Commerce, a business organization that conservatives have criticized for publicly opposing anti-LGBTQ legislation, including a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
In a statement posted to X, Harley-Davidson sought to defend itself from charges levied by anti-“woke” campaigners.
“We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community,” the company wrote. “Earlier this year, we initiated an internal stakeholder review to better align Company activities to the needs of both our business and community.”
The company also said that “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.”
The company’s statement suggested that it would drop its sponsorship of LGBTQ organizations and initiatives by focusing exclusively on “growing the sport of motorcycling and retaining our loyal riding community.”
Lastly, the company said it would end its relationship with the Human Rights Campaign and would no longer participate in or respond to HRC’s “Corporate Equality Index,” which measures a company’s pro-LGBTQ policies and the benefits it offers to LGBTQ employees.
We remain committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue on our journey together as one Harley-Davidson. United We Ride. pic.twitter.com/0feGYhTUMh
— Harley-Davidson (@harleydavidson) August 19, 2024
Starbuck called the announcement a “win for our movement” and suggested, in a post on X, that he would continue to target, and threaten with boycotts, other companies with DEI policies and those that financially support LGBTQ organizations or causes.
Conservatives have recently engaged in a form of “cancel culture” against major corporations for any appearance of support for DEI policies or mere proximity to LGBTQ individuals or causes.
In 2023, conservatives boycotted Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, after the once-popular beer brand partnered with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney for an online advertisement. The boycott reportedly cost Bud Light nearly $1.4 billion in sales.
A similar backlash took place against retail giant Target for selling LGBTQ-themed merchandise or recognizing Pride Month, with some stores or individual employees even being threatened with violence. As a result, the chain largely stopped selling Pride-themed merchandise in many of its stores.
Other companies that have been threatened with boycotts for so-called “woke” advertising, internal company policies, or Pride-themed marketing campaigns, include Chick-fil-A, LEGO, Doritos, and Cracker Barrel.
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