NEW: MAJOR U.S. Company Slashes DEI After Conservative Boycott

An investigation into “woke” policies at home goods super-store Lowe’s now has the company backtracking on DEI initiatives that it attempted to quietly implement over the past year.

Documentary filmmaker Robby Starbuck reported on policies first proposed by the company’s DEI division and fast-tracked for repeal just one day after Starbuck hinted that he would publicize a host of policies targeted by conservatives. “It looks like we don’t even need to do these videos exposing these companies anymore, at least not every company, because many of them are just willing to change their policies as soon as I reach out now,” Starbuck told followers in a video posted on X. In the clip, he goes on to reveal the results of his investigation in a message to Lowe’s executive vice president Joe McFarland, including the discovery of corporate policies that “dictate hiring, bonuses, sponsorships, etc.” if employees align themselves with a Corporate Equality Index outlined by the liberal Human Rights Campaign. This is “something Lowe’s customers deserve to know about,” Starbuck added.

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One day later, the company replied with a two-paragraph statement about “changes to the programs” that Starbuck highlighted. Among them: Lowe’s will refrain from participating in HRC’s equality index and will “get rid of its ERG groups that separate people across identity politics lines by what kind of sex they like or what color they are,” Starbuck announced. The statement by Lowe’s goes on to say that donations and support of LGBTQ initiatives will be terminated. “As you know, over the past few years, we have been narrowing our community and philanthropic areas of focus to strategically align with our business,” with concentrations in affordable housing, disaster relief, and promoting skilled trades education. Festivals and fairs centered on identity groups will no longer see a presence by Lowe’s.

“We’re seeing a $150 billion company change on a dime and embrace merit instead of the equity policies that have been pushed in the past,” Starbuck concluded, thanking his audience for their support. “We are making massive change, and it is thanks to you.”

WATCH:

Big news: I messaged @Lowes executives last week to let them know that I planned to expose their woke policies. This morning I woke up to an email where they preemptively made big changes.

Here are the changes:

• Ending participation in the @HRC’s woke Corporate Equality Index… pic.twitter.com/qOUr2JLGV7

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 26, 2024

In February, Business Insider analyzed the stereotypical Lowe’s shopper and found that they are most likely to be white women over the age of 60 who skew rural and prefer do-it-yourself or professional home projects. More recently, the company has pushed into the farming sector with more ranch-style products as it seeks to wrest segments of the market away from companies like Tractor Supply which earlier this year was outed for similar DEI policies. Tractor Supply rescinded those policies after a similar report, as did farming corporation John Deere.

Since last year’s devastating boycott of Bud Light, conservative consumers and influencers have found that the language of protest is a powerful tool to force some of their preferred corporations back into the business of basic customer service. Many saw their stocks and foot traffic plummet in the wake of negative conservative publicity, with Bud Light still serving as a cautionary tale: the company has fallen far out of the top 10 most popular beers in America and expects at least 25% of its customer base will never return.

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