Ford Motor Co. has backtracked on some DEI initiatives after facing backlash from conservatives. The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ political lobbying group in the U.S., responded to Ford's new policy with a volley of insults after being rejected recently by major corporations.
On Thursday, Robbie Starbuck, a filmmaker and conservative consumer activist, Internal Memo Ford CEO Jim Farley told employees the company is backing away from its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
“What we want to do with this campaign is to create a work-centered workplace again, free from political and socially divisive issues.”
“For more than a century, Ford has been a pioneer in providing opportunity for people of every race, gender and background around the world,” the memo begins. “Our greatest strength is our people, and the diverse experiences, perspectives and talents of our teams have enabled Ford to build some of the most iconic vehicles in history and provide mobility to millions of people.”
“We recognize that our employees and clients hold a wide range of beliefs, and that the external and legal environment related to political and social issues continues to change,” Farley said in the memo.
The auto giant noted that the company has evolved over the past year and “undertook a fresh review of our policies and practices to support our values, drive business performance and take into account the current circumstances.”
As part of the new policy changes, Ford declared that employee resource groups must now focus on “networking, mentorship, personal and professional development, and community service.”
Ford Motor Co. stressed that it “does not set hiring quotas or tie compensation to achieving specific diversity targets.”
The company also declared that it would not apply quotas to minority dealers or suppliers.
“Ford remains committed to fostering a safe, inclusive work environment and building teams that leverage diverse perspectives, backgrounds and thinking styles to deliver the best products, services and experiences for our customers,” Farley added.
“As a global company, we continue to focus our efforts and resources on taking care of our customers, employees and communities rather than commenting publicly on today's many divisive issues,” the memo said.
Ford said the company's philanthropy will be focused on “areas where we can do the most good for the most people, including education for the jobs of the future, entrepreneurship and volunteering with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led organization that works to rebuild from disasters.”
Ford Motor Co. has announced that it will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index and other “Best Companies to Work For” lists.
Human Rights Campaign Responded He has even threatened a boycott targeting Ford and made disparaging remarks about Starbucks.
“Today, Ford caved in to MAGA crank Robbie Starbuck and abandoned its values and commitment to an inclusive workplace,” the Human Rights Campaign said. “With the LGBTQ+ community representing $1.4 trillion in purchasing power and 30 percent of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+, we will not forget this shortsighted decision and its impacts.”
Ford is perfect 100 points The company was selected for HRC's 2023 Corporate Equity Index, which declared it a “leader in LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace.”
Human Rights Commission invoice The company bills its so-called Corporate Equity Index as a “national benchmarking tool for corporate policies, practices and benefits relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees.”
The Human Rights Campaign was described as “playing a leading role in Democratic politics and left-wing activism.” Influence Watch — an organization that provides “an accurate accounting of all the different people who affect public policy issues.”
Regarding the memo, Ford said: USA Today“The communication to our employees around the world speaks for itself. There is nothing more to add.”
Starbucks declared, “We are winning, and one by one we will restore sanity to Corporate America.”
“What we want to do with this campaign is to make the workplace work-centered again, free from political and social conflict,” Starbuck said. Added“While some on the left see sponsorship of Pride events as supporting the community, others believe it is deeply inappropriate for a workplace to sponsor children's exposure to sexualized content. As a consumer, I cannot in good faith support a company that so clearly funds something I morally object to.”
Ford is the latest major company to backtrack on DEI commitments.
As BlazeNews previously reported, Harley-Davidson has rejected the DEI initiative and said it will no longer participate in HRC's woke index.
Last month, Tractor Supply said it would no longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign, retract its DEI position and abandon its carbon emissions targets.
Also in July, John Deere, a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, Announced The company will no longer sponsor events related to “social or cultural awareness” and will audit all training materials “to ensure they are free of socially motivated messages,” following a Starbucks-organized campaign.
Starbucks then sought to expose the DEI efforts of Jack Daniel's and its parent company, Brown-Forman. Declared I will not participate in the future HRC's Corporate Equality Index Social Credit System and the End Set “quantitative workforce and supplier diversity targets” and ensure company goals are tied solely to productivity and not DEI initiatives.
This week, home improvement giant Lowe's Discontinued The company has abandoned some diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and withdrawn from an investigation by the Human Rights Campaign.
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