OAN Staff James Meyers
8:19 AM – Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Walmart on Monday confirmed that it’s ending multiple DEI programs, removing some LGBTQ-related merchandise from its website and getting rid of a nonprofit that funded programs for minorities.
The nation’s largest employer, which has close to 1.6 million U.S. workers, joined other companies that have pulled back their DEI efforts.
Some have also attributed he latest changes to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year that struck down affirmative action programs at colleges.
Those companies include Tractor Supply, which said in June it was eliminating DEI roles and stopping sponsorship of Pride festivals. Ford, Lowe’s and Molson Coors have also walked back some of their equity and inclusion policies in recent months.
Additionally, companies like Anheuser-Busch-owned Bud Light and Target, have faced massive backlash and declining sales after marketing campaigns or merchandise focused on the LGBTQ community.
In a statement, Walmart said it is “willing to change alongside our associates and customers who represent all of America.”
“We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers and to be a Walmart for everyone,” the statement said.
Walmart’s changes also will no longer allow third-party sellers to sell LGBTQ-themed items on Walmart’s website, including items marketed to transgender youth.
Furthermore, the massive retailer is winding down for the Center for Racial Equity, a nonprofit that Walmart started in 2020 after the death of George Floyd.
It’s also moved away from using the term “diversity, equity and inclusion” or DEI in company documents, employee titles and employee resource groups.
Meanwhile, Walmart will continue to award grants, disaster relief, and funding to events such as Pride parades.
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck, applauded Walmart’s changes in a post on X, describing them as “the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America.”
Walmart had conversations with Starbuck over the last week and already had some DEI-related changes underway, company spokeswoman Molly Blakeman said.
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