A counter-culture is taking shape in corporate America. Years after the woke left imposed its divisive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology on businesses across the nation, major companies are now rejecting these policies. Toyota Motor Corp., one of the world’s largest automakers, is the latest to reverse course, joining a growing number of corporations that are saying “enough is enough.”
In a memo circulated Thursday to its 50,000 U.S. employees and 1,500 dealers, Toyota announced it will no longer sponsor LGBTQ parades, events, or make efforts to promote DEI policies. Instead, the company will shift its focus to supporting STEM education and workforce readiness. Toyota also made it clear it will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index, a ranking system that has pushed companies to adopt left-leaning agendas under the guise of inclusivity.
This move comes in response to a successful social media campaign led by conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who exposed Toyota’s previous involvement in “woke” initiatives, including sponsoring drag queen programs and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) segmented by race and sexual orientation. Starbuck praised Toyota’s decision, stating that companies like Toyota are now preparing for future success by adopting corporate neutrality, a strategy that avoids alienating consumers with divisive policies.
The memo from Toyota emphasized the importance of maintaining an inclusive environment without indulging in politically charged activities. It underscored that future company initiatives would focus on professional development, networking, and mentoring—core activities that drive business success, rather than catering to fringe agendas. The company’s executives acknowledged that while DEI might have had its time, it no longer aligns with Toyota’s values or its mission to deliver quality products and services.
Toyota’s decision follows similar actions taken by major corporations like Ford, Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, and John Deere. These companies have distanced themselves from DEI programs after enduring public backlash for engaging in “woke” policies that ultimately alienated their core customer base. In Ford’s case, CEO Jim Farley announced in August that the company would no longer focus on quotas or publicly comment on polarizing issues, choosing instead to refocus on business priorities.
Conservative Americans, who have long voiced concerns about DEI initiatives, are seeing their efforts bear fruit as major corporations abandon these programs. A Rasmussen poll from July found that nearly half of Americans believe DEI programs discriminate against white men, reinforcing the growing sentiment that DEI initiatives have only served to further divide the country.
Starbuck’s campaign against corporate “wokeness” has played a significant role in this cultural shift. As he noted in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “The landscape of corporate America is quickly shifting to sanity and neutrality. We are the trend now, not the anomaly.”
The Human Rights Campaign, for its part, has responded by penalizing companies that withdraw from its rankings, deducting 25 points from their scores. But as more businesses like Toyota reject these rankings and DEI-driven policies, the message is clear: America’s corporations are waking up to the damage that woke ideologies have inflicted on their reputations and bottom lines.
This seismic shift marks a return to corporate sanity. As more CEOs steer their companies away from political activism and back to their core missions, consumers can expect businesses to focus once again on delivering quality products and services—not on pushing radical social agendas.
