A Walmart Supercenter in Burbank, California, November 21, 2024.
Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Walmart confirmed Monday that it is ending some of its diversity initiatives, removing some LGBTQ-related merchandise from its website and dissolving a nonprofit that funds minority programs.
The nation's largest employer, which employs about 1.6 million U.S. workers, has joined a growing list of companies that have abandoned diversity, equity and inclusion efforts after feeling the heat from conservative activists .
Some have also attributed changes to last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action programs at universities.
These companies include Tractor offerwhich said in June it would eliminate DEI roles and end sponsorship of Pride festivals. Lowe's, Ford and Molson Coors have also rolled back some of their equity and inclusion policies in recent months.
Others, such as Bud Light, owned by Anheuser-Busch, and Goalhave faced sharp backlash and declining sales after marketing campaigns or merchandise targeting the LGBTQ community.
In a statement, Walmart said it is “prepared to change along with our associates and customers who represent all of America.”
“We have been on a journey and know we are not perfect, but every decision comes from a desire to foster a sense of belonging, open doors of opportunity for all of our associates, customers and suppliers, and be a Walmart for all” , the statement said.
Among the changes, Walmart will no longer allow third-party sellers to sell certain LGBTQ items on Walmart's website, including items marketed to transgender youth, such as casket binders, company spokeswoman Molly Blakeman said.
She said it also recently decided to stop sharing data with the Human Rights Campaign, a nonprofit that tracks companies' LGBTQ policies, or other similar organizations.
Additionally, the big-box retailer is winding down the Center for Racial Equity, a nonprofit that Walmart started in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd sparked protests across the country. At the time, Walmart and the company's foundation pledged $100 million over five years to fight systemic racism and create the center.
Over the past year, the company has been phasing out supplier diversity programs, giving preferential financing to certain groups, such as women and minorities, after the Supreme Court ruling struck down affirmative action.
There is also a move away from the use of the term “diversity, equity and inclusion,” or DEI, in corporate documents, employee titles and employee resource groups. For example, the former role of Chief Diversity Officer is now referred to as Chief Belonging Officer.
Blakeman said Walmart will continue to award grants, disaster relief and funding for events such as Pride parades, but with more guidance on how the funding can be used.
Some recent changes came under pressure from conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who threatened a consumer boycott of Walmart. Starbuck, an outspoken DEI opponent who had also pressured Tractor Supply, praised Walmart's changes in a post on in corporate America.”
Walmart had discussions with Starbuck over the past week and already had a number of DEI-related changes in the pipeline, Blakeman said.
Walmart's DEI changes were first reported by Bloomberg News.