California Business Directory Allows Owner Identity Searches, Excludes White Men and Males

A recently launched California government website, named Made in California, enables users to find local businesses according to the identities of their owners. However, it controversially lacks filters for businesses owned by White individuals or men. The directory includes categories such as Asian-Owned, Black-Owned, Hispanic-Owned, LGBTQ-Owned, Native American-Owned, Pacific Islander-Owned, Veteran-Owned, and Woman-Owned.

Christopher Rufo, a notable opponent of diversity initiatives, criticized the initiative on X, pointing out that the state has excluded representation for White men. Elon Musk also expressed surprise at this exclusion. According to the New York Post, the site is managed by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate and aims to assist consumers in locating products made in California, provided that at least 51% of the product’s value is added within the state, allowing qualifying businesses to be featured in the directory.