Ford pulls back on DEI efforts under pressure from conservative critics

Joining what appears to be a growing list of companies ditching their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts is the car manufacturer Ford.

Ford announced this week that it was withdrawing from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index as pressure from conservative activists continues to mount.

The car manufacturer now joins Lowe’s, John Deere, Tractor Supply, and Brown-Forman, the owner of Harley-Davison and Jack Daniel’s, CNBC reported .

The home improvement retailer Lowe’s, which also announced its decision this week, said it may also change its policies in the future.

Ford CEO Jim Farley told workers in an internal letter posted on social media that the company would be withdrawingfrom the index and wouldn’t participate in other “best places to work” lists.

However, Farley did note that Ford will still foster “an environment where all of us can do our best work anchored in respect and inclusion.”

The HRC index provides rankings for companies and how they commit themselves to LGTBQ+ causes. Categories used to score companies include nondiscrimination policies, spousal and partner benefits, engagement with the LGTBQ+ community, transgender-inclusive benefits, and more.

While a perfect 100 was once something sought by companies, it is now being used by conservatives looking to punish companies for investing in DEI initiatives.

Of the 1,380 companies that received a score in the 2023-24 index, nearly 600 got a perfect score, including Apple, Amazon, CVS, Disney, Ford, Google, IBM, Walmart, Toyota, Microsoft, AT&T, and more.

But now, some companies are looking to exit the index instead of trying to get a perfect 100.

The HRC has declined to comment on how many companies have recently left the index.

Behind the anti-DEI push is right-wing activist Robby Starbuck, who has claimed credit for Lowe’s and Ford leaving the index after he threatened to “expose their woke policies.”

“We’re now forcing multi-billion dollar organizations to change their policies without even posting just from fear they have of being the next company that we expose,” Starbuck said on X .

VP of corporate citizenship and inclusive technology Eric Bloem spoke with Axios and acknowledged the pressure online from activists. He says that those leaving are making “shortsighted” decisions.

“Long-term business success really means focusing on and embracing those values of inclusion,” Bloem said, adding that those who are staying in the index “understand that LGBTQ+ people, employees and customers are critical to the success of their business.”