Pride Month
US supermarket chain Target removes Pride products from its range after hostilities
Target has come under fire from right-wing and conservative voices for its Pride collection – and has since withdrawn some of the products
© AP / George Walker IV
Shortly before the start of “Pride Month”, the US retail chain Target removed products to support the LGBTQ scene from its range. The reason should be threats and massive hostilities, especially against a British designer.
At the latest when well-known companies decorate their logos with rainbow flags for a short time, you know: it’s Pride Month again. In June, this draws attention to the rights of the LGBTQ+ scene every year. Many companies support this in the form of campaigns and donations, but usually also make considerable profits and positive publicity for themselves with rainbow marketing. Even within the LGBTQ+ community, there is no consensus on how positive this type of commercialization of Pride Month is, which at the same time brings increased attention to the topic.
In the US, however, the retail chain Target has now caused a stir by withdrawing some of its “Pride” products just before the start of Pride Month – which, moreover, come from a designer who is a trans man himself Is part of the LGBTQ+ community. Since the launch of this year’s Pride collection, there have been threats and other incidents “that endanger the safety and well-being of our team,” the retail giant said on Wednesday. In view of these “unpredictable circumstances”, the company is forced to make adjustments and take some products off the shelves, it said. Target will continue to stand by and support the LGBTQ scene.
Boycott Calls Against Target Due to Pride Collection
At the beginning of May, Target added more than 2,000 new items to its range with its Pride collection, including printed T-shirts and mugs, books and decorative items. Conservative and right-wing activists then filmed themselves in Target stores making fun of the rainbow products, complaining loudly and sometimes even destroying them. There are also said to have been loud confrontations between complaining customers and employees. Some called online to boycott Target.
According to media reports, products by British designer Erik Carnell are now to be removed from all US branches and from the website. He has been berated primarily by conservative Christian media and activists for using satanic motifs in some of his products. He explains the reason for this in an Instagram post: “LGBT+ people are so often referred to as a product of Satan or against God’s will – fine. Then we hang out with Satan instead.” This should be understood as a metaphor. For Target he designed a sweatshirt, a jute bag and a bag with sayings like “Cure Transphobia, not trans people”, “Too Queer for Here” and “We Belong Everywhere”, satanic motifs do not appear here. He was expecting a headwind, but not so violently, Carnell told The Daily Dot. He received over 500 hateful messages and some death threats.
California’s governor criticizes Target’s actions
Target is said to be considering removing some of the other “Pride” products from the range as well.
International Day Against Homophobia
In these countries homosexual people are still threatened with the death penalty
California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom lamented a “systematic attack on the homosexual scene across the country” and at the same time criticized Target’s move to remove the products from the range. The chain is thus delivering the LGBTQ scene “to the extremists”.
Sources: With material from AFP, Reuters, CNN Business, The Daily Dot