Harley-Davidson announced this week that it would end its “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives, becoming the most recent major U.S. company to reverse its embrace of left-wing policies amid growing consumer pressure.
The company’s decision follows a campaign spearheaded by activist Robby Starbuck, who has previously prompted similar backtracking by other prominent brands through his social media spotlighting.
Starbuck’s social media campaign criticized Harley-Davidson for its DEI efforts and drew attention from high-profile figures, including Elon Musk, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
In a statement posted on X, Harley-Davidson expressed regret over the recent controversy, stating, “We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community.”
Additionally, Harley-Davidson said it will reevaluate its sponsorships and affiliations, including its support for LGBTQ Pride festivals. The company also said it will end its partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ advocacy organization, CNN reported.
“Moving forward, we will focus exclusively on growing the sport of motorcycling,” Harley-Davidson said, signaling a shift towards more traditional business objectives.
“Corporations can’t ignore our movement anymore, ” Starbuck said in a phone interview with Fox News Digital. “They have to take us seriously. They made this statement because we’re obviously having an impact on their customer base.”
Starbuck’s campaign, which began in late July, highlighted various company actions that have been perceived as “woke” by some, such as sponsoring LGBTQ entrepreneur events and donating to left-wing causes. His posts received significant attention and support from various biker circles, leading to mounting pressure on Harley-Davidson.
This pressure was extremely evident at this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the largest biker rally in the world.“It’s branding suicide,” Vinny Terranova, the owner of Pappy’s Vintage Cycles in Sturgis, South Dakota, previously told Fox News. “A lot of bikers are switching over to Indian. They killed Harley. It breaks my heart.”
The company’s decision mirrors recent actions by other corporations facing similar backlash. Tractor Supply and John Deere have also rolled back their DEI commitments and retracted sponsorships tied to left-wing social and cultural issues, reported CNN.
“We see it as every leader’s role to ensure we have an employee base that reflects our customers and the geographies in which we operate. It is critical to our business that we hire and retain the best talent and that all employees feel welcome. 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 spend goals,” Harley-Davidson said in its statement this week.
In response to Harley-Davidson’s announcement, Starbuck declared via an X post, “We’re winning and we WILL make corporations sane again.”
“You’re going to love what comes next,” he added, hinting that he may have plans to target another company.