On Monday, Harley-Davidson made a statement addressing the negative attention it has faced regarding its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, which have been targeted by conservative groups.

The Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer announced on the social media platform X that they would discontinue participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s scoring system. This system ranks businesses based on their efforts to support LGBTQ+ rights.

Additionally, Harley-Davidson mentioned that employee training will now correspond only to business needs and will exclude any social causes. The company indicated that historically, only training mandated by law has been required.

From now on, all sponsorship engagements will go through a central approval process managed either by the company or the Harley-Davidson Foundation.

Harley stated, “As a consumer brand, our primary focus will be on promoting the sport of motorcycling and maintaining our devoted riding community, along with the support we provide to first responders, active military personnel, and veterans.”

Conservative activists had initiated boycotts against Harley-Davidson, criticizing the company for its backing of LGBTQ+ initiatives and for encouraging employees to participate in allyship training for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Similar efforts have also targeted John Deere and Tractor Supply recently.

In their statement, Harley expressed that they were “disheartened by the negative responses on social media in recent weeks, which were aimed at creating divisions within the Harley-Davidson community.”

“We take this matter very seriously and it is our duty to respond with transparency, decisive action, and accurate information,” the company added.

“We believe it is crucial for our workforce to reflect the demographics of our customer base and the regions where we conduct business. It is vital for our success that we attract and keep the most talented individuals and that every employee feels accepted. However, since April 2024, we have not had a DEI program in place, and as of now, we do not have one. We do not set hiring quotas, nor do we have goals for supplier diversity spending,” Harley stated.