Lowe’s scales back DEI policies amid conservative pressure

NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES — Home improvement giant Lowe’s has announced significant changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
The changes come after conservative activist Robby Starbuck targeted the company over policies related to employee resource groups and corporate sponsorships, particularly those linked to LGBTQ+ Pride events.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Starbuck claimed Lowe’s has decided to end identity-based employee groups, replacing them with a single group for employees of all backgrounds. The company also plans to refocus its sponsorships on areas directly related to its business, such as affordable housing and disaster relief, and will cease participation in Pride and other socially oriented community events.
Big news: Last week I messaged executives from @CoorsLight @MolsonCoors to let them know that I planned to expose their woke policies. Today they’re preemptively making changes.
Here are the changes:
• Ending participation in the @HRC’s woke Corporate Equality Index social… pic.twitter.com/RuOVb1IuNU
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) September 3, 2024
Lowe’s DEI policy changes
Lowe’s has committed to several key alterations in its DEI approach:
- Ending identity-based employee resource groups and replacing them with a single group for all employees
- Limiting sponsorships to business-related issues such as affordable housing and disaster relief
- Ceasing participation in Pride and other socially-related community events
- Discontinuing data submissions to the Human Rights Campaign
According to The Washington Post, these changes were announced in a memo to employees on Monday, which acknowledged the company’s review of DEI policies in light of the Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions.
Corporate trend of DEI reevaluation
Other major companies, including Harley-Davidson, Tractor Supply, and Deere, have also scaled back their DEI presence in recent months.
Starbuck, who has been orchestrating campaigns against corporate DEI programs, sees this as a sign of progress. “A message is getting across to corporate America,” he told The Post. “I think maybe there’s an awakening beginning to happen.”
However, not everyone views these changes positively. Orlando Gonzales, senior vice president at the Human Rights Campaign, warned against hasty decisions.
“Hasty, shortsighted decisions contrary to safe and inclusive workplaces will create a snowball effect of negative long-term consequences for companies, cutting them off from top talent, turning off LGBTQ+ and other consumers, and impacting companies’ bottom line,” he said.
Despite the ongoing debate, a poll from The Post and Ipsos found that roughly 6 in 10 Americans still view DEI programs as “a good thing,” with even higher support for specific initiatives like internships for underrepresented groups and anti-bias training.
DEI initiatives are also proving to be powerful tools for increasing productivity and retaining talent in the workplace, according to experts at the Diversity Network’s Inclusion Festival.