Harley-Davidson Becomes Latest Company To Back Away From DEI Policies

Motorcycle giant Harley-Davidson announced Monday that it was backing away from diversity, equity, and inclusion policies after facing criticism from conservative customers in the last few months. 

In an open letter to the public, Harley-Davidson said it was no longer implementing DEI policies and would enact strict protocols for future corporate sponsorships and affiliations. The announcement comes as other companies like Tractor Supply have moved away from DEI after conservative customers spoke out. 

“We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last 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 company said.

The company said it no longer had a DEI office and would no longer be participating in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) scoring program going forward. 

“It is critical to our business that we hire and retain the best talent and that all employees feel welcome,” the company said. “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 goals.” 

The motorcycle company said it was actively reviewing its affiliated sponsorships and organizations, saying that any future partnership would be “centrally approved and managed.”

According to the company, the changes were implemented after an internal stakeholder review began earlier this year. “As a consumer brand, we will focus exclusively on growing the sport of motorcycling and retaining our loyal riding community, in addition to the support we already provide to first responders, active military members and veterans.”

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The changes at the company took place after the company received sharp criticism from conservatives back in July when activist Robby Starbuck highlighted many of the company’s LGBT-focused initiatives, including training employees to be “allies” and promoting the work of Critical Race Theory proponents. 

“Another win for our movement. I couldn’t do this without all of you,” Starbuck said Tuesday. “Harley-Davidson corporate can be sad all they want but our movement gets results.”

Earlier this year, outdoor store Tractor Supply said it would be moving away from DEI policies after it, too, was hit with a wave of backlash from conservative customers. 

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