NEW YORK (AP) In response to criticism from conservative groups, Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, is reversing its diversity, equity, and inclusion policy.
The business told The Associated Press on Monday that it will keep a closer eye on its third-party marketplace products to ensure that they don’t include sexual and transgender merchandise targeted at children. According to the company, these would include breast bindings designed for young people undergoing a gender transition.
In order to ensure that it is not financially promoting sexualized content directed towards children, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company will also be examining grants to Pride events. For instance, the company stated that it wants to ensure that a family pavilion at a Pride event is not adjacent to a drag act.
Additionally, when it comes to supplier contracts, Walmart will no longer take gender and ethnicity into account in an effort to promote diversity. The business stated that it had no quotas and would not in the future. When assessing a grantee’s eligibility for financing, it will no longer gather demographic information.
We’ve been on a journey and are aware that we’re not perfect, but every choice we make is motivated by the desire to create a sense of community, provide opportunities for all of our employees, clients, and suppliers, and be a Walmart for everyone, the firm stated in a statement.
Following a post on X by conservative political analyst and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck, who claimed to have had fruitful discussions with Walmart over a story he was working on about wokeness, Walmart verified the adjustments.
Starbucks, which has targeted corporations like Boeing, Lowe’s, Deere & Co., and Tractor Supply, tweeted, “This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America.”
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