Tractor Supply slashes its DEI and climate goals after a right-wing pressure campaign

https://www.npr.org/2024/06/28/nx-s1-5022816/tractor-supply-dei-climate-backlash

By Rachel Treisman (28 June 2024)

Tractor Supply Company, which bills itself as the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the U.S., will eliminate its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) roles, withdraw its carbon emissions goals and stop sponsoring Pride events in response to criticism from conservative activists.

The Brentwood, Tenn.-based company announced the series of sweeping changes in a statement shared to social media on Thursday, bringing a weeks-long, right-wing pressure campaign to a close.

"We work hard to live up to our Mission and Values every day and represent the values of the communities and customers we serve," it said. "We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them. We have taken this feedback to heart."

The Fortune 500 company has been nationally recognized as an inclusive and diverse workplace, including last year in Bloomberg's Gender Equality Index and Newsweek's inaugural list of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity.

I always loved Tractor Supply. Now I feel its Traitor supply. I have a collection of many TS hats. I think I will drop them off at the store to be thrown away. So sad they would bow to a bunch of loud mouth bigots! Be sure and write letters to the company voicing our opinion. 
Gina

Very sad.

Right-wing, as a term, is literally the ultimate ironic term. There is nothing right about it.

It's insecure people, wanting everyone else to be as insecure as they are, because that will somehow justify how insecure they are. Makes me sick, regardless of what country it's in.

Such a massive shame. When you give in to the basement imps... that's a bad sign for humanity.

Literally why would you do away with carbon emission goals? Regardless how you feel about the complexity of identity... in whatever form... how can you literally just say F the planet because right wing BS? You can't argue with science. I know the flat earthers try every day but... that's what online learning is for.

We need a zombie apocalypse or alien invasion to literally sort all these people out. This is getting absurd.

I've seen it in the UK. Where the last government wanted to send everyone terrified, humiliated, and desperate to escape the evils of the world and come to the UK... they wanted to send them to a genocidal, African country. We didn't want to build a wall, we wanted to build a runway. Just to get them out of the public eye. How does this make any sense? I've seen it in the lead up to the latest UK general election. And elections in Europe in a wider context. Look at France. They have their own basic Nazi party claiming victory. And it's not just France.

What is wrong with people? I ask this as someone genuinely curious. What is it about your own life that you have to blame the whole rest of the world for it being what it is? How are you so insecure and weak-willed as a person that it always has to be someone else, or something else's fault. It's never you.

I find that wholly pathetic. Buck-passing and ultimately self destructive.

I went to the source, of course.. and whilst the company is not saying it is stopping being a diverse and great place to work.. it does make nods to the current twitter row that has been ongoing these last few weeks..

QuoteGoing forward, we will ensure our activities and giving tie directly to our business. For instance, this means we will:

No longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign
Refocus our Team Member Engagement Groups on mentoring, networking and supporting the business
Further focus on rural America priorities including ag education, animal welfare, veteran causes and being a good neighbor and stop sponsoring nonbusiness activities like pride festivals and voting campaigns
Eliminate DEI roles and retire our current DEI goals while still ensuring a respectful environment
Withdraw our carbon emission goals and focus on our land and water conservation efforts

 The day before they donated a million dollars to vetrans charities.. it just seems out of character for such a good company.
Of course many companies have ditched their DEI goals.. but few have made statements about it.. and this is why I am thinking this is fishy..

Personally, and only my opinion, I believe there is something more behind this story.. time will tell but I smell a rat and think somethinks not right at TS..