McDonald’s

McDonald’s 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 (1)(2)(3). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Supplier Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (4). In 2012, the company canceled its partnership with the conservative nonprofit ALEC after coming under pressure from progressive groups (5).

McDonald’s does not discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. However, its employee matching girfts program will only give to religious organizations that provide non-sectarian services (1)(2). The company is a corporate partner of the Ronald McDonald House Charities and operates a separate scholarship fund (3)(4). McDonald’s likely uses Benevity as its charitable giving platform. Benevity vets charities according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate List, which includes mainstream libertarian, conservative, family, and religious advocacy organizations (5)(6)(7).

McDonald’s used to support DEI through racial quotas, unconscious bias training, and executive compensation practices tied to DEI. In April 2023, America First Legal filed a letter with the EEOC requesting a civil rights investigation into the company over discriminatory practices in hiring. However, in January 2025, the company pledged to end racial quotas at the company and DEI training (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). Despite McDonald’s pledge to end divisive hiring, supplier, and training practices, the company continues to maintain discriminatory policies. McDonald’s appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment, hiring, and promotions. From its Inclusion page: “We are committed to continuously exploring ways to enhance inclusion across all levels of the Company.” (8). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition and supply chain. From its Inclusion at McDonald’s page: “Our accomplishments include improving leadership diversity, … meeting our US system wide supplier diversity” (9). The company offers an “Inclusive Leadership course for employees in Director-level positions and above.” (10). McDonald’s employee business networks are open to all, “Our employee business networks (EBNs) are employee-led, volunteer, business-focused groups for all employees and are designed to create a sense of belonging at the Company.” (11). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (12).

McDonald’s had an extensive history of using its reputation to support divisive causes and scored a 100 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index. However, in January 2025, the company pledged to shift its corporate policies and practices back toward neutral. McDonalds pledged to stop filling out external surveys, which includes the CEI (1)(2). It signed an open letter endorsing the Equality Act, a contentious proposal to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act by adding sexual orientation and so-called gender identity as protected categories. The legislation would, among other implications, grant biological men access to women-only spaces such as sports teams and public restrooms, and compel healthcare providers to deliver sex-denying healthcare (3). It is a member of the Civic Alliance, which opposes state election reform laws (4). The company’s CEO Chris Kempczinski is a member of the Business Roundtable, which supports stakeholder capitalism over traditional shareholder obligations (5). Its CEO Chris Kempczinski signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace (6)(7). McDonald’s is committed to net zero emissions by 2030 (8)(9). The company’s Inclusion at McDonald’s page states, “Holding the CEO and Executive Officers accountable for efforts that drive employee engagement and our values, including the value of inclusion.” (10).

McDonald’s was a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (1)(2)(3). The company pledged $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes, including the National Urban League (4)(5)(6). The company is a Bronze sponsor of Out and Equal and was a partner of the HRC’s Foundation (7)(8). McDonalds sponsored the following 5 events in 2025: WorldPride 2025, Lexington Pride Festival, GreenWood Indiana Pride, Fort Wayne Pride, Dayton Pride 2025 (9)(10)(11)(12)(13). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (14).

McDonald’s donated to the Equality PAC but has not lobbied for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).