Harley-Davidson Promised to Drop Woke Policies and Then Hired a CEO Who Funded San Francisco Pride

Harley-Davidson's board announced a new CEO in August 2025 – one year after publicly surrendering to conservative riders and promising to drop every DEI program it had.

That promise just got exposed as a lie.

The man they hired to lead Harley's comeback spent his career funding San Francisco Pride events and launching antiracism programs at Pizza Hut.

The CEO Harley Chose After Promising to Change

Artie Starrs became Harley-Davidson's President and CEO on October 1, 2025 – one year after the company publicly renounced DEI and begged conservative riders for forgiveness.

Robby Starbuck went through Starrs' record this week and what he found is damning.

While Starrs ran Topgolf, the company declared it envisioned "a world at Topgolf where our family celebrates our LGBTQIA+ community."

Topgolf also sponsored a PGA of America LGBTQ+ golf tournament that raised money directly for San Francisco Pride.

Before Topgolf, Starrs ran Pizza Hut – where he rolled out a curriculum of antiracism materials targeting educators, including programming designed for children.

That's the man Harley-Davidson chose to lead its comeback.

The Brand Officer Makes It Worse

Starrs isn't alone.

Harley also hired Marcus Fischer as chief brand officer – the man responsible for shaping what Harley looks like to the world going forward.

Fischer previously led an advertising agency where he championed efforts to boost transgender representation in marketing.

Starbuck called it exactly what it is.

"You can't tell working-class American riders that you respect them while filling leadership with people tied to woke policies, DEI activism and cultural radicalism," he said. "It is out of step with Harley's customer base and heritage."

Harley Has Been Down This Road Before

In July 2024, Starbuck exposed the company's DEI operation – its LGBTQ+ boot camps, its Wisconsin Pride chamber membership, its diversity hiring quotas.

Harley panicked and released a statement in August 2024 announcing it had quietly ended its DEI function back in April, dropped minority-owned supplier spending goals, and would no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.

Former CEO Jochen Zeitz stepped down in 2025 after being blamed for driving the brand into the ground.

Harley's stock tells the story of what woke leadership delivers.

The stock has collapsed nearly 48% from its 2016 levels.

Global motorcycle shipments fell 16% in 2025 alone.

The company posted a Q4 2025 loss of $2.44 per share – nearly triple what Wall Street expected.

Now the board's answer to all of that is to hire the Pizza Hut antiracism guy.

Starbuck Is Done Negotiating

The first time around, Starbuck's goal was a policy reversal.

This time he's telling riders to walk.

"At this point, enough is enough," Starbuck said. "They don't deserve another chance. It's time for riders to go elsewhere. Only through a real power struggle can Harley be saved."

He made his message to Harley's board equally clear.

"There are consequences for woke behavior and woke executives," he added.

Harley's response to Fox Business was to praise Starrs for spending eight months riding around the country listening to dealers.

America's riders aren't looking for a CEO who listens to focus groups.

They're looking for one who doesn't spend his free time funding Pride events in the most left-wing city in America.

Indian Motorcycle and other competitors are watching this meltdown and sharpening their pitch to every disgusted Harley rider in the country.

The board had one job after 2024 – don't repeat it.

They repeated it.

Sources:

• Eric Revell, "Harley-Davidson under fire from Robby Starbuck over alleged 'woke' leadership," Fox Business, June 5, 2026.
• Daily Caller, "Harley-Davidson Backsliding On Wokeness Despite Previous Policy Reversal," June 3, 2026.
• Western Journal, "Harley-Davidson Descends Further Into Wokeness Despite Previous Vow to Change Course," June 4, 2026.
• Fox Business, "Harley-Davidson cuts revenue forecast on inflation, DEI backlash," October 25, 2024.
• FinancialContent/Finterra, "Harley-Davidson (HOG) at a Crossroads: The 2026 Strategic Reset," February 10, 2026.