Amazon has quietly removed its public commitments to LGBTQ+ rights and racial equity from its website, aligning with a broader corporate trend of scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This change comes as Donald Trump, on his first day back in office, eliminated federal DEI hiring policies and contracting practices.
According to The Washington Post, Amazon erased language supporting “equity for Black people”, “LGBTQ+ rights”, and any mention of “transgender” from its website in December 2024. Previously, the company had expressed solidarity with Black employees and customers, supported voting rights protections, and backed legislation against racial bias in policing.
Additionally, statements endorsing federal and state-level protections for trans people and detailing in-house trans-inclusive employee benefits were removed.
Despite the changes, an Amazon spokesperson maintained that the company still provides insurance coverage for trans employees. They also pointed to an updated DEI section, which now states:
“Inequitable treatment of anyone, including Black people, LGBTQ+ people, Asians, women, and others, is unacceptable.”
A Wider Corporate Shift in DEI Policies
Amazon’s move is part of a larger corporate response to growing right-wing pressure against DEI initiatives. Companies including Meta, Walmart, Ford, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, Jack Daniel’s, and McDonald’s have all either scaled back or eliminated similar programmes following campaigns led by conservative figures like Robby Starbuck.
However, Apple has resisted this trend – its board of directors has urged shareholders to reject proposals to dismantle its DEI commitments.
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