T-Mobile has announced that it will eliminate all of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and dedicated positions.
The move comes in response to a recent call-out by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), following a similar request to another cellular giant, Verizon, back in May.
According to an official filing posted by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, T-Mobile confirmed that it will no longer have any individual roles or teams focused on DEI, which is likely to signal a cultural shift within one of America’s largest wireless carriers.
Carr celebrated the changes on social media, with conservative commentator and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck praising the corporation’s changes.
“I’m proud to have advised the FCC on gutting DEI from companies and I predict many more wins under Brendan’s leadership. Sanity is not just desired, it’s required,” Starbuck wrote.
The rapid rollback of DEI initiatives by big companies comes after growing public backlash, with many Americans questioning whether race- or identity-focused programs promote fairness or create new forms of division.
One of the biggest corporate public backlashes was from the biker community.
Last year, reports began to emerge of Harley-Davidson customers’ increasing impatience with the company’s modern branding, DEI initiatives, and LGBTQ connections, as well as its perceived lack of respect for consumer history and character, as previously covered by DX.
The motorcycle company’s rebranding, particularly, became a major talking point among riders at this year’s 84th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota last summer, which draws about 500,000 attendees annually. At Sturgis, many bikers told the media that they would be buying from other American motorcycle manufacturers, like Indian Motorcycles, after Harley-Davidson continued to seemingly ignore their concerns.
The controversy intensified after Starbuck called out Harley’s other various left-leaning internal policies.
Starbuck claimed the company required white men to attend exclusive diversity training, backed laws allowing men in women’s private spaces if they identify as transgender, and promoted all-ages Pride events that include drag-queen story time and rage rooms.
In August, following the Sturgis rally and declining stock values, Harley-Davidson announced that it would also put the brakes on the majority of its DEI programs, as reported by DX.
Companies like John Deere and Bud Light also faced collective pushback from consumers in 2024 after they leaned too heavily into forcing DEI marketing schemes.