Walmart Rolls Back DEI Policies Under Conservative Pressure

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer and the nation’s largest private employer, has announced significant changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies following pressure from conservative activist Robby Starbuck. Starbuck, a former music video director, has been campaigning against corporate DEI initiatives and claimed on Monday that he had persuaded Walmart to end several “woke policies”.

The Arkansas-based retailer will no longer provide racial equity training to its workers or fund anti-racist non-profits. Additionally, Walmart will review and potentially halt funding for LGBT+ Pride events to ensure they are not supporting sexualized content targeting children. For instance, the company aims to prevent family pavilions from being located near drag shows at Pride events.

Walmart will also remove “transgender products” marketed to children from its stores and stop participating in the Human Rights Council‘s LGBT+ equality index. The company will cease using terms like “DEI” and “LatinX” in official communications and will no longer require suppliers to provide certain demographic data as part of its supplier diversity program. Furthermore, Walmart will not consider race and gender when offering supplier contracts, emphasizing that it never had quotas and will not implement them in the future.

This move follows similar actions by other major corporations such as Boeing, Harley Davidson, and John Deere, which have also bowed to pressure from Starbuck and other conservative activists. Starbuck celebrated the changes, stating that this was the “biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America”.

A Walmart spokesperson emphasized the company’s commitment to being “a Walmart for everyone,” and stated that every decision is made to foster a sense of belonging and open doors to opportunities for all associates, customers, and suppliers.