The power toolmaker Stanley Black and Decker is the latest firm to face a boycott from conservatives over its diversity-hiring policies and support for LGBTQ causes.
Consumers’ Research, an advocacy group, has panned the Connecticut-based firm for picking suppliers based on their race, and funding LGBTQ lobbying in Washington.
The company, which is behind such brands as DeWalt, Black and Decker, and Stanley, joins a growing list of firms to come under pressure from conservatives over policies seen by many as ‘woke.’
Will Hild, director of Consumers’ Research, said Stanley Black and Decker has strayed into politics by pushing cultural values that ‘have nothing to do with ensuring consumer satisfaction.’
The firm’s ‘sole priority should be providing their customer base, professionals and DIYers alike, with the best tools and equipment possible,’ Hild told The Mail.
The Connecticut-based company is behind such popular home improvement brands as DeWalt, Black and Decker, and Stanley.
But behind the scenes, executives have been pushing a diversity-hiring and LGBTQ agenda
‘Companies need to focus on serving their customers, not woke politicians.’
The $24 billion company did not immediately comment on the claims.
The boycott comes at a tough time for the toolmaker, which has seen its stock value sink in recent months, as it shutters plants and distribution hubs in a bid to trim $2 billion in costs and turn a profit.
The firm’s DEI tsar Joe Simms
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) schemes are a front-line issue in America’s culture wars.
Advocates say they help get more women and minorities into jobs and colleges. Critics say they unfairly deny opportunities to straight, white men and others, even when they’re better candidates.
A report from Consumers’ Research highlights controversial DEI efforts at the company.
They include policies to increase business with minority suppliers by at least 10 percent by 2025, donations of $10.5 million to ‘racial equity’ groups, and compulsory ‘equity training’ sessions for bosses.
It highlights comments from the firm’s diversity chief Joe Simms, who has spoken of DEI as an ‘unwavering focus’ for the firm and one of its ‘foundational commitments.’
Executives also teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group, and took part in its ‘equality index,’ which ranks firms on how friendly they are to gay and transgender staff.
The report includes filings that show the company spent $280,000 on lobbying lawmakers for the Equality Act, which would ‘enshrine in federal law that biological males can participate in women’s sports.’
The Mail surveyed the company’s website and social media channels and found repeated references to its DEI work and support for ‘inclusive’ workspaces and celebrations of Pride month.
While such corporate statements are uncontroversial to many, companies increasingly take flak from conservatives for ignoring their customers and pushing an unwelcome social agenda.
In recent weeks, Ford, Lowe’s, Coors, Harley-Davidson, Tractor Supply, John Deere and other well-known brands have pulled the plug on their DEI work or their support for LGBTQ causes.
The company’s social media feeds repeatedly referred to its DEI work and support for an ‘inclusive’ workspaces and celebrations of Pride month.
Will Hild, director of Consumers’ Research, a policy nonprofit, says Stanley Black and Decker is pushing cultural values that ‘have nothing to do with ensuring consumer satisfaction.’
The company’s diversity push may be at odds with some consumers who associate home improvements with manliness
Many were pushed into action by the online anti-DEI campaigner Robby Starbuck. Others have faced legal challenges from America First Legal, a group led by former Trump administration officials.
Many companies that embraced DEI policies in the wake of the cop killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in May 2020 have stepped back from them for fear of irking conservative customers.
Some businesses have received public shareholder letters since 2021 saying their DEI schemes amount to illegal discrimination and breach directors’ duties to investors.
Anti-DEI groups were energized by the US Supreme Court ruling in June 2023 that struck down affirmative action in university admissions, a ruling that does not directly affect employers.
Former president Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for US president, has been highly critical of DEI initiatives.
For some, DEI schemes are important and necessary, as they can help to overcome historical racism and sexism and make it easier for people of all backgrounds to get ahead in education and work.
Critics say it’s a form of reverse discrimination that unfairly blows back on straight, white men and others.
Others say DEI schemes may be well-intentioned, but seldom achieve their desired goals and that mandatory workshops on ‘micro-aggressions’ and ‘white fragility’ often make things worse by stirring up divisions in offices and classrooms.
An Ipsos poll in April found that 61 percent of voters called DEI a ‘good thing.’
Still, a Gallup survey from around the same time found that only 38 percent of people wanted businesses to be taking a stance on current events — a drop of 10 percentage points from 2022.
