Target has been a leader in catering to LGBTQ+ shoppers – now it’s on the defensive
Target once distinguished itself as being boldly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community
NEW YORK (AP) — Target once distinguished itself as being boldly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.
It risked losing that status on Wednesday after removing some LGBTQ+-themed products, and hiding Pride Month displays in certain Southern locations, to address online complaints and in-store confrontations that it says were a threat to employees’ well-being.
Target now faces a potential second backlash from customers who are upset by the discount retailer’s reaction to aggressive, anti-LGBTQ+ activism, which has also been sweeping through Republican state legislatures. Civil rights groups chided the company for caving to anti-LGBTQ+ customers who tipped over displays and expressed outrage over gender-fluid bathing suits.
“Target should put the products back on the shelves and ensure their Pride displays are visible on the floors, not pushed into the proverbial closet,” Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson said in a statement. “That’s what the bullies want.”
