Harley-Davidson has become the latest major brand to face backlash over its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, with conservative online influencers calling for a boycott of the famous motorcycle maker.
Robbie Starbuck, who has more than 500,000 followers on X, accused the Wisconsin-based company of being “totally woke” by hosting LGBTQ+ boot camps in its offices, sponsoring Pride events and indoctrinating white employees on DEI.
Last week, Starbuck, a Republican candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives, organized an online campaign to force John Deere and Tractor Supply Co. to rescind DEI initiatives, including canceling Pride parades and festivals.
In a 10-minute video posted to X, Starbuck said Harley-Davidson is a “platinum founding member of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce” and opposes child gender transition bans.
Starbucks ran an ad touting the fact that the company is “committed to diversity and inclusion.”
The Post has reached out to Harley-Davidson for comment.
He also pointed out that Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz, the German-born businessman, is “spending millions of dollars to change public opinion on climate change.”
Zeitz has set a goal for Harley-Davidson to have all of its vehicles electric by 2030.
According to Starbuck, Harley-Davidson has hosted an “LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurship Bootcamp” at its headquarters in Wisconsin.
Starbucks said the company also sponsored LGBTQ events, offering “rage rooms” adjacent to “storytime rooms where kids can interact with drag queens.”
He also said the company “congratulated” the legal department for its “21 Days of Racial Equity and Literacy Initiative,” which promoted controversial works such as “The 1619 Project” and a book titled “Black Panthers and White Lies.”
The challenge also included work by Ibram X. Kendi, a Boston University scholar who has promoted the concept of “anti-racism” in his books.
“I believe the corporate values barely reflect the values of Harley-Davidson bikers,” Starbuck said.
“Do Harley riders want the money they spend on their Harley to then be used by a company to promote ideologies that are the polar opposite of their own values?”
Last year, conservatives organized a boycott of Bud Light, a brand owned by Anheuser-Busch, after the brand partnered with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a promotional campaign for the beer.
The boycott caused Bud Light’s sales to plummet, resulting in the company losing its 20-year reign as the top-selling beer in the country.
