IKEA

In 2025, IKEA terminated an employee in Indiana when he refused to use a coworker’s preferred pronouns. The employee asked for a religious accommodation, but was fired three days later for “misgendering” his coworker (1)(2)(3). The company fired an employee in Poland when he protested against an LGBTQ event by posting Bible verses on the company’s internal network. Polish courts ruled against his case (4)(5). IKEA received a score of 100 on the 2026 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (6)(7)(8). The company received a score of 100 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (9)(10). IKEA was a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which demonetized and suppressed content that it deemed to spread “hate speech” or “misinformation”, discuss “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context”, or “vilif[y]” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These arbitrary guidelines were used to censor mainstream perspectives online (11)(12)(13). The company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its IWAY Standard General Section: “Emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases are reduced in absolute terms, in line with limiting the global temperature increase to well below 2°C, aiming towards 1.5°C, by the end of the century (as set in the Paris Agreement)”. The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its IWAY Standard General Section requires international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (14).

IKEA’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2)(3). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (4)(5). IKEA does not discriminate against religious organizations based on views or beliefs (6).

IKEA’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend at least one, controversial training on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2)(3). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (4)(5). IKEA is a signatory of the Gender & Diversity KPI Alliance, appearing to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender and racial targets for its leadership composition and its support of DEI in its hiring and promotions (6)(7). The company implemented unconscious bias and anti-racism training for its management (8). IKEA protects its employees against viewpoint discrimination (9).

IKEA’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company potentially agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2)(3). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (4)(5). IKEA signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act, a controversial bill and signed onto a 2019 amicus brief supporting the inclusion of sexual orientation in Civil Rights law protections (6)(7). The company opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which would prohibit teaching gender identity and sexual orientation to kids in K-3rd grade (8). Ikea has also worked with the Black Lives Matter movement’s leadership to advance racial equity causes (9). The company opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (10). IKEA signed an amicus brief in opposition to the 2016 North Carolina bathroom bill HB2, which required people to use the bathroom of their biological sex (11). The company’s CEO, Javier Quinones, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace (12)(13). IKEA launched an LGBT+ Inclusion plan that establishes an inclusive work environment for its LGBT+ associates (14). IKEA has used its website to promote drag queens (15)(16). The company is committed to net zero emissions by 2050 (17).

IKEA provides a benefits package for employees that covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion and transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children (1)(2)(3)(4). The company’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits, lab monitoring, and mental health benefits. The company also covers at least five of the following services: reconstructive hair removal, cosmetic hair removal, tracheal shave or reduction, facial surgeries, voice modification surgery, voice modification therapy, lipoplasty or filling for body masculinization or feminization, and travel and lodging expenses. Additionally, the company has potentially pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (5)(6)(7)(8). IKEA’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (9)(10). The company was a Bronze Tier corporate sponsor of the Trevor Project, an organization that advocates for controversial sex and gender ideology, including “gender transition” drugs and surgeries for minors, through legislation, litigation, advertising, and PR campaigns. The organization also hosts online chatrooms that allow adults to communicate with minors as young as 13 about sexually explicit topics. Adults in these chatrooms have encouraged minors to adopt transgender identities and withhold this information from their parents (11)(12)(13)(14)(15). The company stated, “safe access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, and the ability for persons to make private decisions about their health and well-being, are essential to advancing gender equity” (16). IKEA was a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (17)(18)(19). The company donates to GLSEN, which promotes anti-harassment policies and LGBTQ ideology (20). IKEA was a partner of the HRC’s Foundation (21). Central Florida Urban League Inc. In 2022, the company donated $75,000 to Central Florida Urban League Inc. (22). The company is a corporate partner of Ashoka, a global network of entrepreneurs focused on widespread, systemic social and environmental change (23). IKEA supported Time Out Youth, “an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth ages 13–24 by providing a safe space, programming that promotes health and self-expression and support with safe housing” (24). Ikea sponsored WorldPride 2025 (25). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (26).

IKEA’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). The company does not operate a PAC at this time and has not lobbied for ideological purposes (3)(4)(5).