John Deere equipment for sale at a United Ag and Turf dealership in Colchester, Connecticut, US, on Friday, 3 November 2023. (Photo: Joe Buglewicz/Bloomberg) Deere said on Tuesday on the social media platform X it will no longer participate in “cultural awareness parades” and its business resource groups will focus “exclusively” on professional development, networking, mentoring and supporting talent recruitment.
Moline, Illinois-based Deere is the latest target of Robby Starbuck, a conservative commentator who in an online post on 9 July promised to “expose” the company for having “gone woke”.
Starbuck attacked the company for allegedly funding a Pride event, supporting the use of women’s bathrooms by trans women, encouraging workers to use gender-based pronouns and for funding employee resource groups dedicated to LGBTQ people and people of colour.
It’s time to expose John Deere. @JohnDeere has been one of the most beloved brands by conservative farmers but recently on CEO John May’s watch, they’ve gone woke.
Here’s some of what we found:
• Funding a pride event for kids as young as 3
• "Genderbread man" training
•… pic.twitter.com/nWnSUCW08K
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) July 9, 2024
The social media posts mirrored a similar campaign against Tractor Supply Co. last month by Starbuck. On 27 June, the farm goods supplier said it would retire diversity, equity and inclusion targets, stop submitting data to the Human Rights Campaign and withdraw carbon emission goals in an effort to ensure its “activities and giving tie directly to” its business. Its decision prompted anger from the National Black Farmers Association and LGBTQ groups.
Attacks on social media have dovetailed with lawsuits from conservative activists who’ve targeted diverse hiring practices. Companies have begun to downplay diversity goals in corporate filings, while others have scaled back programs meant to encourage the advancement of marginalised groups.
Deere’s decision comes just one month after it agreed to pay $1.1-million in back wages and interest to 277 Black and Hispanic job applicants after the Department of Labor alleged that it found systemic hiring discrimination at the company.
Our customers’ trust and confidence in us are of the utmost importance to everyone at John Deere. We fully intend to earn it every day and in every way we can. pic.twitter.com/8BgyPyQJQo
— John Deere (@JohnDeere) July 16, 2024