CEO Ford changes diversity program after pressure from conservatives

Automaker Ford will change its employee diversity program. This was reported by the Reuters news agency, which received an email with the news. The automaker thus joins other major US companies, which have recently been revising their diversity programs under pressure from conservative activists.

Ford is, among other things, leaving a program from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which evaluates how LGBTI people are treated in the workplace. The car company also stopped sponsoring events that promote diversity, Ford CEO Jim Farley said in an email to employees.

Motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson left yesterday X has also stopped several initiatives in the field of diversity and inclusion, such as providing courses on this subject. The section dealing with diversity and inclusion will also be abolished.

Companies such as DIY chain Lowe’s and whiskey maker Jack Daniels recently took similar steps.

The changes come after heavy criticism of the American industry from conservative quarters. According to the American media, one of the instigators is the right-wing Robby Starbuck, who campaigns to “dismantle companies that have woken up”.

The activist believes “it’s time to move away from these policies and bring neutrality and common sense back to business,” he said in an interview with the television channel. CNN. Starbuck is supported by Republican senators and several prominent right-wing activists in the US.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation said in a response that Ford included an “internet troll”. “This short-sighted decision will harm the company’s long-term success.”