NEW YORK — Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a list of major corporations that have been under pressure by conservative activists.
The company confirmed on Monday to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. That would include chest binders intended for youth who are going through a gender change, the company said.
The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer will also be reviewing grants to Pride events to make sure it is not financially supporting sexualized content targeting kids. For example, the company wants to makes sure a family pavilion is not next to a drag show at a Pride event, the company said.
Walmart will also no longer consider race and gender as a way to increase diversity when it offers supplier contracts. The company said it didn't have quotas and will not do so going forward. It will stop collecting demographic data when determining financing eligibility for those grants.
“We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers and to be a Walmart for everyone,” the company said in a statement.
Walmart confirmed the changes after conservative political commentator and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck posted on X that he was in touch with the retailer about a story he was doing about “wokeness” and he said he ended up having "productive conversations” with Walmart.
"This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America," wrote Starbuck, who has gone after companies including Deere & Co., Lowe's, Tractor Supply and Boeing.