NATIONAL, (WDNews) – John Deere farm equipment maker said in a statement that it will no longer sponsor “social or cultural awareness” events, joining other major U.S. companies in distancing itself from diversity and inclusion measures after being targeted by conservative backlash.
John Deere also said it would audit all training materials “to ensure the absence of socially-motivated messages” in compliance with federal and local laws.
“The existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy,” said John Deere.
This comes just a few weeks after Tractor Supply ended various aspects of its corporate diversity and climate efforts.
Both of these announcements came after backlash increased online from conservative activists opposed to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, sponsorship of LGBTQ+ Pride events, and climate advocacy.
While the announcements have pleased some, others are outraged.
Eric Bloem, vice president of programs and corporate advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign, called the announcement “disappointing” and “a direct result of a coordinated attack by far-right extremists on American business.”
Political chaos of the 2024 election year continues to fuel the fire on companies diversity policies.
