Conservative nonprofit organization Consumers’ Research on Friday accused Yeti, a premium outdoor gear brand, of going “full woke” by promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including sponsoring transgender ideology for children.
While the push for DEI initiatives appeared to slow in 2023 as American companies tightened budgets amid economic uncertainty, Yeti continued to promote these efforts. According to an alert sent out by Consumers’ Research, first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, the U.S.-based company has maintained its DEI focus, supported organizations promoting inclusion between girls and biological boys identifying as transgender girls, and extensively tracked its race and gender diversity quotas.
Since 2020, the U.S.-based company has been training employees on “unconscious bias,” setting the stage for Yeti’s expansion into DEI initiatives, according to analysis from Consumers’ Research. In a December 2020 LinkedIn post, Yeti Senior Vice President of Human Resources Hollie Castro emphasized the company’s commitment to “embracing change” and “leaning into difficult conversations with sensitivity.”
“Over three weeks, the team took our YETIzens through understanding bias, identifying bias, cultivating connection, and choosing courage. Rather than ignore what was happening around the world, we wanted our employees to know that we are here to support them and that we are committed to educating ourselves and taking actions to do better – for our workforce, our communities, and our consumers,” Castro wrote.
“On top of delivering these delicate training sessions, the Talent Experience team was heavily involved with the launch of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council’s focus groups and affinity groups,” she added. “The team was instrumental in listening to and understanding our employees’ feelings and needs and then developing the resulting action plan after digging into the findings and feedback.”
By 2022, Yeti furthered its DEI commitment by partnering with the non-profit organization Skate Like A Girl, which promotes social justice through sports. The organization hosts events for both women and men identifying as trans. An informational poster obtained by Consumers’ Research shows the group promoting an overnight skate camp in California, welcoming participants of all ages, while consistently including trans girls and women regardless of their age. (RELATED: Problem-Riddled Boeing Axes Entire Diversity Division)
“The lack of an inclusive and safe environment for women, girls, and trans people to practice and excel in recreational and competitive skateboarding. YETI was a main sponsor of their first-ever skating summer camp for adults in August 2021,” the company wrote in its 2022 ESG Report. “Through YETI’s partnership, Skate Like a Girl was able to bring over 50 skaters to their summer camp and promote confidence, leadership, and social justice through skateboarding.”
Yeti coolers are displayed at an REI store on May 09, 2024 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
However, Skate Like a Girl was not Yeti’s first partnership with organizations blending biological women and girls with biological men identifying as women. According to the website for SheJumps, a nonprofit serving “all women and girls (transgender and cisgender) as well as non-binary people who identify with the women’s community” in outdoor activities, Yeti has been a corporate partner since 2021.
Since expanding into DEI initiatives, Yeti has closely tracked its progress and goals, according to its 2024 ESG Report. For example, the company reported upholding its goal of “gender pay equity across all levels annually,” noting there was “no disparate impact in compensation for all U.S.-based employees in the same job family based on gender, race and ethnicity, and age.”
The company has highlighted its goal of increasing both gender diversity and racial and ethnic diversity at all levels by 2030. It reported that race and ethnicity representation at the director level increased to 17% and 35%, respectively, compared to 2020 baselines of 14% and 32%. However, gender diversity decreased from 41% in October 2020 to 30% as of December 2023.
One of the company’s latest initiatives involves a partnership with The Venture Out Project, which leads “backpacking and wilderness trips for the queer and transgender community.” According to the organization’s website, one of its upcoming events is a Spring “Queer Forest Bathing Retreat with Toadstool Walks.”
“Yeti has gone full woke. Putting kids at risk by exposing them to radical transgender ideology and enforcing ridiculous DEI quotas throughout the company. Yeti was an iconic American brand, but it has turned away from American values,” Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild told the DCNF. “Consumers deserve better. Consumers’ Research will continue to call out this reckless behavior from corporate America, pushing hard to ensure that companies are once again prioritizing serving their customers, not woke politicians.”
Yeti did not immediately respond to DCNF’s request for comment.
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