Quick summary:
• Amazon quietly removed public commitments to Black and LGBTQ rights from its corporate policies, including pledges to support anti-discrimination legislation and gender-affirming healthcare benefits.
• The rollback of Amazon’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs is part of a broader trend among corporations like Meta, Walmart, and John Deere scaling back similar initiatives.
• President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration have openly criticized DEI efforts, with key figures like Stephen Miller opposing corporate diversity programs.
• Amazon’s decision aligns with the GOP’s far-right agenda as more companies cave to conservative pressure campaigns.
• Meta recently ended its DEI programs, faced backlash from LGBTQ groups, and loosened enforcement of hate speech policies, which GLAAD labeled a shift to being an “anti-LGBTQ company.”
• Apple stands out as an exception, urging shareholders to reject anti-DEI proposals, but experts believe it will be an outlier as more companies drop DEI initiatives.
• Advocates warn that these corporate rollbacks will negatively impact marginalized communities, reduce workplace protections, and embolden anti-DEI activists.
Amazon has quietly removed several key diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments from its publicly available policies. The changes come as corporations across the U.S. scale back DEI programs, a shift that aligns with increasing political pressure from far-right groups ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration later this month.
Recent reports by The Washington Post and The Advocate revealed that Amazon’s corporate policy pages have been stripped of specific pledges to support Black employees and LGBTQ+ rights. Sections detailing Amazon’s gender-affirming healthcare benefits and its stance on anti-discrimination legislation for transgender individuals have also been removed.
Spokesperson Kelly Nantel told The Washington Post: “We update this page from time to time to ensure that it reflects updates we’ve made to various programs and positions.”
Advocates worry that Amazon’s removal of DEI commitments signals a broader retreat from corporate responsibility in protecting marginalized communities. The company previously pledged to “stand in solidarity with Black employees” and to advocate for racial justice policies. These public commitments are no longer displayed on its corporate website.
The rollback comes amid a broader trend of corporations pulling back on DEI initiatives. Companies including Meta, McDonald’s, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson have all reduced or eliminated their DEI programs in recent months.
Meta, for example, recently ended its third-party fact-checking program and reduced enforcement of its hate speech policies, prompting backlash from LGBTQ+ organizations. Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, stated:
“In one week, [Meta has] dismantled an entire history of brand-safety best practices, consumer trust, and most importantly, user safety. These changes will harm users and make Meta’s platforms unsafe for everyone.”
The rollback of DEI initiatives aligns with the rising influence of conservative groups that oppose diversity programs. President-elect Trump recently appointed Stephen Miller, a longtime opponent of DEI efforts, as deputy chief of staff for policy. Miller’s America First Legal Foundation has been actively campaigning against corporate DEI programs.
At the same time, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has come under scrutiny for his $1 million donation to Trump’s inaugural committee. Critics argue that this donation highlights a shift in priorities at the company and raises questions about its long-term commitment to social justice.
Conservative think tanks, such as the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, have launched campaigns to dismantle DEI programs, arguing that they expose companies to legal and financial risks. In contrast, advocates argue that DEI programs protect organizations from reputational damage and legal liabilities.
Apple, in contrast to companies like Amazon and Meta, has urged its shareholders to vote against an anti-DEI proposal brought by the National Center for Public Policy Research. Apple’s board stated that dismantling DEI programs would limit the company’s ability to manage its operations and business strategy.
In a statement to shareholders, Apple’s board wrote that the proposal “inappropriately attempts to restrict Apple’s ability to manage its own ordinary business operations, people and teams, and business strategies.”
The rollback of DEI programs has left many LGBTQ+ groups concerned about the safety and dignity of marginalized communities in corporate spaces. Advocates argue that dismantling these programs could have lasting consequences on the progress made toward workplace equity and anti-discrimination protections.
According to The Advocate, the removal of gender-affirming healthcare benefits from Amazon’s public policies is particularly concerning, as transgender employees may now face uncertainty regarding their healthcare coverage.
While some companies continue to resist political pressure to dismantle their DEI initiatives, advocates warn that a broader retreat from corporate responsibility could undermine the rights of marginalized groups across the U.S.
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