In a statement posted Tuesday to social media platform X,
The move from the company known on
Conservative political commentator and filmmaker
Starbuck posted that
Starbuck, a 35-year-old Cuban American, told The Associated Press that “it’s not lost on me my kids would benefit from this stuff,” but he opposes hiring decisions that factor in race, as well as DEI initiatives, employee resource groups that promote non-professional activities and any policies that in his view allow social issues and politics to become part of a company culture.
"People should go to work without having to feel like they have to behave a certain way in order to be acceptable to their employer,” he said.
Starbuck and other conservative activists celebrated
But the move also sparked outrage from critics of the new position, who have argued that
The organization said that
The conservative backlash against DEI has extended to companies across industries, including previous boycott campaigns against Bud Light and Target over their LGBTQ+ marketing. Starbuck said he has a list of companies he is thinking of posting content about, starting with ones that have traditionally conservative customer bases. He declined to name his next target.
The ensuing changes to policy and corporate commitments aren't just coming from company boardrooms. Leading HR organization
“Effective immediately, SHRM will be adopting the acronym ‘I&D’ instead of ‘IE&D,” the group said in a statement posted on LinkedIn. “By emphasizing Inclusion-first, we aim to address the current shortcomings of DE&I programs, which have led to societal backlash and increasing polarization.”
The move, in turn, triggered a backlash among LinkedIn users, some calling it “backward” and “shameful.” Others replied that they were planning to cancel their SHRM memberships.
Still others stress that prioritizing equity is critical for leveling the playing field, saying this kind of omission signals a shift in messaging that could have chilling consequences on efforts toward workplace equality.
In an interview with The AP on Wednesday, SHRM's president and CEO
“You either loved it, you hated it,” he said. “If it’s so polarizing that people just abandon it, then we all lost.”
Legal attacks against companies’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have also drawn more attention following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling to end affirmative action in college admissions. Many conservative and anti-DEI activists have been seeking to set a similar precedent in the working world.
"The blowback and the potential vulnerabilities are real," said
A vast majority of companies are “not taking the bait” and keeping policies in place “because it makes good business sense and it’s also the right thing to do,” she said. Still, she added, external pressures are building up.
The
Stark noted that companies across industries are bracing for the prospects of potential changes in terms of their federal contracts, for example, which have historically been a powerful way to promote equity in workplaces.
That doesn't mean companies will stop their DEI efforts entirely, she added, but they may have to change language or find new workarounds.
“All these flash points that companies are, sort of, limping between is the new normal,” she said.
___
AP Business Writer
___ Savage is a reporter on the women in the workforce team. The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from
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