Target, with its mascot puppy’s tail between its legs, officially “scaled back” its pride displays this June, limiting its best and brightest rainbow gear to just a few stores in “strategic” locations. Bud Light is a cautionary tale sure to be taught as a case study in marketing degree programs for years to come. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s is rumored to be planning a similar divorce from the LGBTQ cause soon.
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but your tractor supplier has decided to stop yelling at you.
If you’re one of the millions upon millions of Americans who could not care less about the personal political views of the people working at companies like John Deere, Ford, Target, and maybe even Lowe’s, there was some really good news recently: They’re going to stop telling you about them.
And if you’re one of the millions of Americans who care very much indeed about whether your purchasing power is supporting retailers who openly promote and agitate for evil, there’s even more good news: Many of these same retailers are backing away from shilling for progressive politics altogether.
A very disappointed Axios reported two weeks ago that the Ford Motor Company has joined a growing list of major U.S. companies in announcing an end to its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and its decision to stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, which ranks some of America’s biggest companies every year on how well they support LGBTQ causes. Judging by the index, HRC quantifies that “support” by tallying the amount of money and the amount of time these companies—yes, even companies manufacturing farm equipment—are willing to spend promoting, celebrating, or generally talking exhaustively about so-called LGBTQ rights. In between the selling of the tractors, I guess.