Toyota curbs DEI policy after activist attack over LGBTQ support

Toyota Motor Corp. will refocus DEI programs and halt sponsorship of LGBTQ events, citing “a highly politicized discussion” around corporate commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Japanese carmaker told employees it will also end participation in notable rankings by LGBTQ advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign and other corporate culture surveys. The company will “narrow our community activities to align with STEM education and workforce readiness,” it said in a memo Thursday to its 50,000 U.S. employees and 1,500 dealers. Also read: NAACP calls out racial justice supporters who went silent after 2020 The note comes a week after anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck started a social media campaign against the company, calling for customer boycotts because of its support for LGBTQ events and other initiatives. Toyota said at the time that the LGBTQ programs targeted were led by employee groups, not the company directly. A spokesman for the company on Thursday said Starbuck’s public attack drew a few hundred queries from employees, questions from a “small population” of dealers and about 30 customer calls to its call center. He described the impact as “negligible.” As of Thursday, Toyota was still plugging its diversity programs on a section of its website that describes its culture with statements such as "D+I is a fundamental part of everything we do." Another section labeled Limitless Possibilities includes a photo of what appears to be a Pride parade with a woman holding a sign stating "Respect 4 People is the Toyota Way." Toyota is among a handful of companies Starbuck has targeted in recent months for their “woke” policies. Harley-Davidson Inc., Lowe’s Cos. and Ford Motor Co. said they would curb their DEI efforts, including scaling back programs directed at LGBTQ groups. Ford and farm goods retailer Tractor Supply Co. are among companies that pulled out of the HRC rankings. Molson Coors also retreated, saying it would stop linking executive compensation to employee representation and scrap supplier diversity goals. The HRC in recent weeks has cautioned companies against backtracking on LGBTQ efforts and urged supporters to boycott many of the companies that have ended participation in its Corporate Equality Index. Also read: Why brands are pulling out of HRC's Corporate Equality Index “Short-sighted decisions to abandon DEI initiatives will have a lasting, negative impact on business success in a future where more people than ever are identifying as LGBTQ+,” Eric Bloem, a VP at the organization, said in an email last week in response to Starbuck’s attack on Toyota. Starbuck’s fight against corporate DEI programs is the latest in a conservative-led campaign that was emboldened by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to ban affirmative action in college admissions last year. That ruling sparked a series of lawsuits and complaints against companies for discriminating against white workers. —Bloomberg News with Ad Age contributions

Toyota curbs DEI policy after activist attack over LGBTQ support

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