Target selling Pride Month merchandise online and in ‘select stores’ after pushback

Target announced Friday that it will carry Pride Month products only online and in “select stores” this year, following backlash over last year’s designs.

In a statement to The Hill, Target said it will offer a collection of products for Pride that include “adult apparel, home goods, food and beverages hand-picked based on guest insights and consumer research.”

The collection will be available on Target.com and select stores “based on historical sales performance,” the company said. said in a memo. The company said it is committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community during June Pride Month and throughout the year.

Target has removed certain products from its shelves after receiving intense backlash from customers and several bomb threats over the products.

The company was criticized last year for selling “tuck-friendly” women’s swimwear that allows trans women who have not undergone gender reassignment surgery to cover their private parts, the Associated Press reported last year.

Some stores in the South moved collections to the back after shoppers questioned retailers about the issue.

Target subsequently received backlash from customers angry about the move, who claimed the company was caving in to anti-LGBTQ groups opposed to the clothing.

This debacle is the latest example of how companies are struggling to serve multiple groups amid extreme fragmentation. The Associated Press pointed outlike last year’s boycott of Bud Light.

Kelly Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement that Pride products mean something.

“Target’s decision is disappointing and will alienate LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies, putting not only their interests but also their values ​​at risk,” Robinson said.

Robinson said 30 percent of Gen Z identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community, and they live in every zip code in the United States.

She said they are not going anywhere and “companies need to understand that community members and allies want companies that express genuine support for the community.”