Amazon has recently made several significant internal changes, including removing statements supporting LGBTQ rights and racial equity from its public list of corporate policies.
This is a bold move by the world’s second-largest employer, which has also recently announced a documentary with First Lady Melania Trump.
Previous statements pledging to commit to “equity for Black people” and “LGBTQ+ rights” were removed from a page on the company’s website in December, along with any mentions of the word “transgender,” according to The Washington Post.
Amazon previously stated on its website that it stood “in solidarity” with Black employees and customers and supported “legislation to combat misconduct and racial bias in policing, efforts to protect and expand voting rights, and initiatives that provide better health and educational outcomes for Black people.” This section has since been deleted.
References to federal and state laws protecting transgender people, as well as mentions of the company’s health benefits for transgender employees, were also removed.
Amazon’s decision to remove the section on gender-affirming healthcare benefits has raised concerns that employees will lose insurance coverage for these treatments.
Other statements about pro-diversity efforts, initiatives, and pro-LGBTQ public policy positions, such as support for federal legislation like the Equality Act, have been removed. Instead, the major retailer has issued a more generic statement opposing discrimination.
“We also believe that inequitable treatment of anyone — including Black people, LGBTQ+ people, Asians, women, and others — is unacceptable, and we advocate for policies designed to remove barriers to equity and create an inclusive environment for all employees,” the company’s homepage states.
A company that once advocated “diversity, equity, and inclusion” has since declared: “We appreciate that our 1.4 million team members reflect the world’s diversity.”
Amazon’s changes mirror similar actions taken by other major corporations following Trump’s election victory, such as Meta, McDonald’s, and Walmart.
