Harley-Davidson is latest all-American brand to face boycott over DEI Pride events for kids

The iconic motorcycle shaper Harley-Davidson is nan latest all-American marque to get slammed by conservatives complete its 'inclusion' policies, including supporting Pride events for children.

The $6 billion-a-year patient known for its macho and rebellious image faces a backlash aft campaigners exposed its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and urged riders to steer clear.

Robby Starbuck, an online influencer, posted astir Harley-Davidson's support for hard-line policies astir trans attraction for kids, critical title theory and sidelining achromatic group successful business.

The outrage echoes akin backlashes against John Deere, a tractor maker, and Bud Light, complete a tie-up pinch a trans influencer that cost nan beer-maker millions successful mislaid sales.

Supporters of DEI efforts opportunity they thief get much women and number talent into companies, but critics telephone them an irritating box-ticking workout that often blows backmost connected straight, achromatic men.

'Harley-Davidson seems to person forgotten who their halfway customers are,' Starbuck, a filmmaker who was besides a 2022 Republican House campaigner for Tennessee, posted connected Tuesday.

'I don't deliberation nan values astatine firm bespeak nan values of astir immoderate Harley-Davidson bikers.'

Starbuck added: 'Do Harley riders want nan money they walk astatine Harley to beryllium utilized later by firm to push an ideology that's diametrically opposed to their ain values?'

The 121-year-old company, which is headquartered successful Milwaukee, Wisconsin, did not reply DailyMail.com's petition for comment.

According to Starbuck, Harley-Davidson has a 'total commitment' to DEI policies successful offices and nan factories that make its trademark heavyweight bikes, which are designed for cruising connected nan highways.

This includes backing a caller Pride arena successful Pennsylvania, pinch face-painting and balloon twisting events for youngsters, arsenic good arsenic a 'rage room' wherever adults could 'let disconnected steam,' he says.

The bike-maker has collaborated pinch governmental groups that push hard-left ideas, including nan Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, United Way and nan Human Rights Campaign, he says.

Harley-Davidson money has truthful promoted sex-change procedures connected children and anti-racism efforts against 'whiteness' and 'Christian privilege,' he alleges.

DEI efforts person changed life wrong nan institution of immoderate 6,400 people, says Starbuck.

Some 1,800 labor were trained connected really to go an 'LGBTQ+ ally,' while immoderate sessions singled retired achromatic men for circumstantial diversity-training, he says.

The institution introduced worker assets groups (ERGs), which abstracted unit on racial, gender and intersexual personality lines.

It is besides gradually cutting its number of achromatic employees, suppliers, and dealers, he adds.

Starbuck successful portion blames Harley-Davidson's $12-million-a-year CEO Jochen Zeitz, who has vowed to toggle shape nan shaper pinch a scope of electrical motorcycles and thief tackle ambiance change.

Harley-Davidson's blimpish customers should fto nan institution cognize their concerns and see ditching nan brand, he says.   

'When we usage our voices and wallets to ballot our values, we tin alteration nan world and reconstruct awesome American companies to a civilization of sanity,' he adds.

Scores of societal media users person already added their sound to Starbuck's campaign, including bikers who said it could beryllium clip to 'sell our Harleys.'

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, an advocator of blimpish causes, posted simply: 'Harley Davidson?'

The disapproval could beryllium troubling for a institution that's go synonymous among its biker customers pinch freedom, rebellion, and nan unfastened road.

Still, nan company's support for DEI and LGBTQ+ causes will beryllium uncontroversial to galore of its customers, and will doubtless beryllium supported by progressives.

Harley-Davidson customers often decorate their motorcycles pinch rainbow flags, and they make predominant appearances astatine Pride events, ridden by specified groups arsenic Dykes connected Bikes.   

The iconic patient was established by puerility friends William Harley and Arthur Davidson, pinch nan accumulation of their first motorcycle successful a mini woody shed successful Milwaukee successful 1903.

The backlash comes arsenic Harley-Davidson continues to divert its scope distant from entry-level bikes to attraction much connected expensive, touring bikes among its ever-older customers.

The institution did not reply our requests for comment, but connected various websites it has says it is moving to amended 'sustainability' and go a 'leader successful world diverseness and inclusion.'

The disapproval marked nan latest successful a bid of conservative-led boycotts against well-known brands that clasp progressive policies, which person deed Bud Light, Target, Cracker Barrel, Tractor Supply, The North Face, and galore others.

Many companies that embraced DEI policies successful nan aftermath of nan bull sidesplitting of unarmed achromatic man George Floyd successful May 2020 person stepped backmost from them for fearfulness of irking blimpish customers.

For some, DEI schemes are important and necessary, arsenic they tin thief to flooded humanities racism and sexism and make it easier for group of each backgrounds to get up successful acquisition and work.

Critics opportunity it's a shape of reverse favoritism that unfairly blows backmost connected straight, achromatic men.

Others opportunity DEI schemes whitethorn beryllium well-intentioned, but seldom execute their desired goals and often make things worse by stirring up divisions successful offices and classrooms.