Major Australian companies are pulling back from their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs amid a US-led "anti-woke" backlash, a new report reveals. According to research by Pride in Diversity (PID), one in 10 executives said their firms are reducing or dropping DEI initiatives. Some have even cancelled their membership in PID. The report, based on a survey of 92 senior leaders, describes how opposition that started against trans inclusion in the US has spread to challenge broader LGBTQ+ and inclusion programs in Australia. PID director Dawn Emsen-Hough said, "What began internationally as targeted opposition to trans inclusion quickly broadened into resistance to LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion [and] a wider anti-woke campaign." Executives blame former US President Donald Trump's policies for encouraging the backlash globally. One executive remarked, "Language we have used has overstepped the mark: white, pale, stale male – very judgmental." This has caused some workers, especially white heterosexual men, to feel alienated. The Australian Workplace Equality Index survey found only 75% of Australians now support their workplaces' LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts. In one case, a company stopped transgender inclusion training due to concerns about staff safety. Paul Zahra, PID patron and former David Jones CEO, criticized the retreat, saying, "Organisations pulling back [are] responding to imported culture war narratives that don’t reflect Australian workplace realities." Despite setbacks, PID still counts nearly 500 major employers, including top banks and government agencies. Many firms are quietly softening their language instead of abandoning programs, aiming to balance inclusion with broader employee comfort. Deloitte Australia stands firm on diversity goals, while PwC Australia's CEO, Kevin Burrowes, stressed inclusion is key to success and popular with young, diverse staff. He said, "We want to make sure that everybody feels included...We want them to feel that they can have a fair go." PwC plans to rename its program from "diversity and inclusion" to "inclusion and diversity" to reflect this approach.