LGBTQ+ Americans support boycotting companies that abandon DEI

A survey for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) has revealed that companies which choose to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives could lose the support and spending power of the LGBTQ+ community.

The 2024 LGBTQ+ Climate Survey found that 80 per cent of LGBTQ+ adults in the US would boycott a company that rolled back equality programmes. And more than 75 per cent said that they would have a less-favourable opinion of a company that cut its DEI policies, while 52 per cent said they would urge others to boycott the company, including by posting negative reviews on social media.

As for LGBTQ+ employees of a company that axed DEI initiatives, 72 per cent said that they would feel less included or accepted at work, and one-third said that their productivity would suffer. Nearly 20 per cent would start to look for a new job immediately.

The death of DEI in the US

The report comes as a number of companies in the US have announced they are giving up on their DEI policies and employee support. Harley-Davidson, John Deere, Molson–Coors, Lowe’s, Ford and Jack Daniel’s have all abandoned their initiatives.

The backlash against the programmes has been spearheaded by Robby Starbuck, a hard-line right-wing activist with a large social media following. He began his crusade in June, by targeting rural retail chain Tractor Supply after learning the company donated to DEI causes, including charities that support LGBTQ+ youngsters.

More recently, tool-maker Stanley Black & Decker found itself in the crosshairs of right-wing attacks and calls for a boycott, after being called out by Consumers’ Research, an independent educational organisation that prides itself on targeting “wokeness” in business.

The power of the queer dollar

With nearly 30 per cent of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+, and holding up to $1.4 trillion (£1.06 trillion) in spending power, succumbing to the conservative backlash and giving up on DEI, could be detrimental to a company’s bottom line and employee retention.

The survey highlights that 93.5 per cent of LGBTQ+ adults believe that a company scoring a perfect 100 per cent on the HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) would signal some level of support for the community.

That echoes separate research by GLAAD, which found that Americans are twice as likely to buy and use brands that support LGBTQ+ rights. Seventy-one per cent of queer adults in the US are more likely to buy products from companies that purposefully reach out to the community.

“The LGBTQ+ community is an economic powerhouse, and we want to work for and support companies who support us,” said Orlando Gonzales, the senior vice-president for programmes, research and training at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

“Attacks on DEI initiatives are short-sighted and make our workplaces less safe and less inclusive for hard-working Americans of all demographics and backgrounds.

“This new data confirms that companies like Molson-Coors, Ford and others that abandon their values and backtrack from commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, risk losing both top employee talent and consumer dollars.”

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