A rising challenge to the dominance of progressive ideologies in corporate America has emerged in the form of a direct warning to 92 major U.S. companies—among them Home Depot, Netflix, and Delta Airlines—urging them to abandon their involvement with the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a flagship project of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The appeal, revealed in a letter obtained by The Daily Wire, comes from the 1792 Exchange, an organization committed to resisting the advance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activism in the business world.
The letter, signed by former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, pulls no punches. It accuses the CEI of functioning as a “social credit scoring system”—one that enforces compliance with left-wing gender ideology and compels companies to adopt what Cameron calls “unlawful policies that only sow division.”
“Unfortunately, many companies have no idea what they’re actually signing up for when they participate in the HRC’s survey,” Cameron said. “This should be a wake-up call.”
The Corporate Equality Index, maintained annually by the HRC, has long been used to rate companies on their commitment to LGBTQ+ policies. But what began as a measure of nondiscrimination has since evolved into a pressure campaign that compels corporations to cover sex change operations, hormone therapy, and puberty blockers—even for minors—under company health plans, and to institute LGBTQ+ supplier diversity pipelines. Critics say these demands blur the line between advocacy and coercion, veering dangerously close to undermining sound corporate governance and alienating stakeholders who prioritize neutrality, merit, and operational integrity.
Cameron’s letter encourages companies to withdraw from the CEI, warning that continued involvement could bring reputational and legal risks, especially as more Americans grow skeptical of aggressive identity-based policies in the workplace. His organization offers confidential, pro bono support to help companies reevaluate and redirect their policies in ways that emphasize “business success and legal prudence.”
Notably, several high-profile companies have already stepped away from the HRC’s scoring regime. Walmart, McDonald’s, Ford, and Tractor Supply have all exited the CEI in recent years, with Ford publicly stating it would no longer participate in “external culture surveys” like the one run by HRC.
This growing resistance reflects a broader cultural shift—one where corporate America is being asked to rethink the wisdom of outsourcing HR policy to partisan rating agencies. For the 1792 Exchange, that means moving away from the politicization of the workplace and toward an emphasis on excellence, fairness, and productivity.
“Let’s ensure that workplaces remain welcoming, productive, and focused on excellence,” Cameron’s letter concludes. “Withdrawing participation in the CEI represents a responsible step in this direction.”