TL;DR
- Cracker Barrel removed its Pride and DEI web pages after conservative pressure.
- The company also scrapped a new logo following backlash.
- Anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck declared “total victory.”
- The move mirrors other corporations pulling back on diversity efforts.
- LGBTQ+ advocates see the rollback as a troubling sign for inclusivity.
Cracker Barrel’s “Culture & Belonging” Vanishes
Cracker Barrel, the chain best known for biscuits, rocking chairs, and roadside nostalgia, is now making headlines for something else: scrubbing LGBTQ+ and DEI content off its website. Without fanfare, the company deleted its “Pride” page and gutted references to employee-led diversity groups from its “Culture & Belonging” section.
Gone are the mentions of the LGBTQ+ Alliance, Be Bold, Hola, and other groups meant to foster belonging. In their place, a sterilized page that says little about inclusion, but plenty about “corporate giving” — food insecurity, community support, and food waste. In other words, the gay has been wiped clean from the gravy.
Cracker Barrel insists the changes were simply part of “brand updates.” But the timing tells another story. The move came after anti-DEI crusader Robby Starbuck publicly demanded the chain purge LGBTQ+ content, later bragging online about “total victory.”
A Logo, a Backlash, and a Retreat
The DEI rollback isn’t happening in a vacuum. Just days earlier, Cracker Barrel scrapped its short-lived new logo — a stripped-down text design — after a conservative uproar. Fans rallied for the old “Old Timer” logo, and the company quickly caved, releasing a syrupy statement about “listening to guests.”
Even former President Donald Trump weighed in, posting on Truth Social that the chain should “make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again” by reverting to tradition. Within 24 hours, the company complied.
Stock prices even got a bump, rising 8% after Cracker Barrel announced it would keep its iconic logo. Apparently, nostalgia pays better than progress.
Why This Matters for LGBTQ+ People
For queer employees and customers, the message is clear: your visibility is disposable. What started as an earnest effort in 2021 to highlight diversity after George Floyd’s murder has now been rolled back under pressure from conservative activists and political figures.
“This is about more than biscuits and logos,” one LGBTQ+ advocate told us. “When companies erase Pride content, they’re signaling that our communities don’t deserve a seat at the table.”
And Cracker Barrel isn’t alone. Big names like McDonald’s, Walmart, and Starbucks have also walked back DEI commitments in recent months. The cultural pendulum may have swung, but for LGBTQ+ folks, the retreat feels like a betrayal. Visibility matters — not just in June, but year-round.
The Bottom Line
Cracker Barrel may say it’s just cleaning up “out-of-date content,” but the erasure of Pride from its website speaks volumes. For a company that once promised to “celebrate the diversity of all our guests,” the rollback is more than disappointing — it’s dangerous.
Because while logos can be swapped and biscuits refilled, trust with LGBTQ+ communities is harder to win back.