Popular American Beer Company Backs Down to Conservative Backlash, Cuts Woke Diversity Initiatives

Molson Coors, the brewing giant behind popular beers like Coors Light and Miller, is making headlines after scaling back its controversial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In a major shift, the company announced it will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which scores companies on LGBTQ+ inclusion. Additionally, they are ending supplier diversity goals focused on businesses owned by minorities or women.

This move comes as several major consumer brands, including Ford, Lowe’s, and Brown-Forman (makers of Jack Daniel’s whiskey), have also adjusted their DEI policies due to mounting pressure from activists and customers alike.

In an email obtained by The Wall Street Journal, Molson Coors leadership shared the reasoning behind the decision, stating that the focus will now shift toward creating a more inclusive environment for all employees. “The driving force behind this shift was the understanding that when all our people know they are welcome, they are more engaged, motivated, and committed to our company’s collective success,” the company stated.

In a separate memo obtained by CNBC, Coors executives confirmed they are eliminating supplier diversity quotas, describing them as “complicated and influenced by factors outside of [the company’s] control.” Instead, they will focus on maintaining a supplier base that reflects the diversity of their consumer base but without strict quotas. The company also announced that executive incentives would now be aligned solely with business performance, leaving behind their previous “aspirational representation goals” for the upcoming year.

Additionally, Molson Coors is making changes to its employee training programs. The new focus will be on business objectives rather than DEI-specific themes. While the company will still support its Employee Resource Groups (now rebranded as Business Resource Groups), it will no longer participate in voluntary third-party rankings like the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, where it previously scored a perfect rating.

“This will not impact the benefits we provide our employees, nor will it change or diminish our commitment to fostering a strong culture where every one of our employees knows they are welcome at our bar,” the memo reassured. Molson Coors emphasized that while its corporate charitable contributions will now focus more on business-related causes like alcohol responsibility and disaster relief, it will continue supporting programs like “Tap Into Change,” which has raised over $700,000 for LGBTQ+ organizations since 2011.

Prominent activist Robby Starbuck praised the move, telling The New York Post: “Companies are starting to realize the whole DEI thing has been a house of cards. Somebody just had to press the cards.” Starbuck, who targets companies with woke policies on his widely followed social media platforms, recently spotlighted Molson Coors, leading to preemptive policy changes at the company. He claims that his efforts have forced many companies to rethink their woke agendas, and Molson Coors is just the latest in a growing trend.

WATCH:

Big news: Last week I messaged executives from @CoorsLight @MolsonCoors to let them know that I planned to expose their woke policies. Today they’re preemptively making changes.

Here are the changes:

• Ending participation in the @HRC’s woke Corporate Equality Index social… pic.twitter.com/RuOVb1IuNU

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) September 3, 2024

Starbuck has been vocal about restoring “sanity and neutrality” in corporate America, and his pressure campaign appears to be making waves. As more companies reconsider their DEI strategies, the question remains: are we witnessing the end of woke policies in the corporate world?