Diversity Under Attack: US Corporates Roll Back LGBTQ+ Inclusion Efforts

Under increasing right-wing pressure, several major American corporations have scaled back or eliminated their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and staff. But what does this mean for South Africa?

DEI policies in organisations aim to promote the fair and equitable treatment and full participation of all people, particularly those who have historically been marginalised or discriminated against based on identity, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

These initiatives often include employee diversity training and initiatives and inclusive staff policies and recruiting practices. Companies not only adopt these measures to reflect progressive values but also to attract top talent by fostering a more inclusive and welcoming work environment.

High-Profile US Companies Cut Back

In recent weeks, prominent US companies, including Microsoft, Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel’s), Molson Coors (the world’s third-largest brewer), Ford Motor Company, and Harley-Davidson, have announced significant cuts to their DEI efforts.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the US, has condemned these actions as regressive and cowardly steps in response to pressure from bigoted “anti-woke” right-wing groups.

American conservative activist, and former Hollywood music video director, Robby Starbuck has been instrumental in launching online campaigns against companies because of their DEI initiatives (which he’s described as “evil”) and their support for LGBTQ+ events and climate change strategies.

HRC, which described Starbuck as a fringe “internet troll”, said that “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.”

With nearly 30% of Generation Z identifying as LGBTQ+ and the community wielding $1.4 trillion in spending power in the US, HRC argues that retreating from DEI principles risks undermining consumer trust and employee success.

The organisation has launched a campaign to counter these moves, citing survey results showing that over 75% of LGBTQ+ adults in the US would view companies that roll back DEI initiatives less favourably.

“The LGBTQ+ community is an economic powerhouse, and we want to work for and support companies who support us. This new data confirms that companies like Molson Coors, Ford, and others that abandon their values and backtrack from commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion risk losing both top employee talent and consumer dollars.”

DEI Backlash Reflects Wider Social Shift

Roy Gluckman, a South African expert on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) and co-founder of Run to the Monster, believes this trend in the US is likely to spread to Europe and the Global North. “What do they say? When America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold, unfortunately,” he quips.

“The anti-gender, anti-LGBTQ backlash is all part of the same pendulum swing to the right. In a polarised society like the US, between conservative and liberals, [companies] are going to constantly be pandering to the wallet of their target audience. And DEI is the easiest thing to scapegoat, to kind of appease the consumers who are now saying, ‘this is a woke brand’.”

However, he asserts that South Africa presents a unique case and is unlikely to experience a major shift away from DEI initiatives.

“For us, diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging is enshrined in our Constitution. It’s not something we have as ‘a nice to have’. This is our democracy, so the constitutional framework is fundamentally different.

Gluckman acknowledges that while some South African leaders or individuals may resist DEI, they are up against a legislative mandate to transform. “I don’t see that changing any time soon,” he says.

DEI as a Tool for Collective Healing

Despite the right-wing pushback, Gluckman contends that DEI remains critically relevant, even in organisations that already have inclusive policies that affirm people who have historically been excluded because they are, for example, black or brown or LGBTQ+. “We are moving beyond just including people in policies or teams; it’s about healing,” he explains.

“It is very much in line with our deeper understanding of the human experience of trauma, of inherited trauma, of how trauma impacts our own self-belief and how important self-belief is to perform and achieve, where we were taught to believe in our own badness, in our own inferiority. That still exists today and that will persist for many generations.”

Gluckman holds that DEI goals are more than just about representation. They are about addressing the lasting impacts of exclusion. “DEI is a wonderful way to heal from these things within organisations,” he adds.