Harley-Davidson announced revisions to its diversity and progressive policies following criticism from conservative activists.
The company issued a statement on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, saying the changes are a result of an internal stakeholder review that sought to “better align company activities to the needs of both [its] business and community.”
Based on the review, Harley revealed updates to how it manages diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), as well as changes to its sponsorships, affiliations and employee training.
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Harley clarified that it had not “operated a DEI function since April 2024,” does not have hiring quotas and no longer has spending goals for minority-owned suppliers. Additionally, the company said it will not participate in Human Rights Campaign scoring, a benchmarking tool designed to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Harley said it is reviewing its affiliations and stated that all sponsorship activities will now require central approval by the company or the Harley-Davidson Foundation. The company added that the brand would exclusively focus on growing motorcycling, retaining its “loyal riding community” and supporting first responders, military members and veterans.
The company also stated that its employee training will feature legally required content and exclude “socially motivated” material.
Harley’s announcement comes about a month after farm equipment maker John Deere said it would no longer sponsor “social or cultural awareness” events. John Deere’s statement also mentioned that it would exclude “socially motivated messages” from training materials and said its policy never included diversity quotas.
John Deere’s response to social media criticism came a few weeks after rural retailer Tractor Supply took similar actions.
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