Target Pulls Some LGBTQ+ Stuff From Stores Ahead Of Pride Month

(CTN News) – As a result of a backlash from some customers that included violent confrontations with Target workers, Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise throughout the nation, ahead of Pride month.

We have experienced threats to the safety and well-being of our team members since we introduced this year’s collection, and we are doing everything we can to protect those employees,” Target said in a statement on Tuesday.

As a result of these volatile circumstances, we have been forced to make adjustments to our plans, which includes removing items that have recently been the focus of significant confrontations.”

It was unclear which items Target was removing from its stores, but among those that gained the most attention were the “tuck-friendly” women’s swimsuits that will allow trans women who have not yet undergone gender-affirming surgery to conceal their private parts.

There has also been backlash against designs made by London-based Abrippen, which designs and sells occult- and satanic-themed apparel and accessories for LGBTQ+ individuals.

As of early May, Pride merchandise has been on sale for a limited time. In June, the month of Pride is celebrated.

As a result of confrontations and backlash from shoppers in Southern stores, Target has moved its Pride merchandise from the front of some stores to the back in order to avoid confrontations and problems.

The retailer’s Pride month collection has also been the subject of a series of misleading videos in recent weeks, with social media users falsely claiming that the retailer sells bathing suits that can be tucked in that are designed for kids or that are sized specifically for kids.

It is interesting to note that the announcements come at a time when beer brand Bud Light is still grappling with the backlash of customers angered by its attempt to expand its customer base through its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

The parent company of Bud Light has announced that it plans to spend three times more on marketing in the U.S. this summer as a means of restoring sales that were lost after the brand partnered with transgender influencer.

It has been about a decade since Target and other retailers including Walmart and H&M began expanding their LGBTQ+ displays during Pride month in order to celebrate the celebration.

In the past couple of years, transgender issues, including gender-affirming health care and the right to participate in sports, have been a divisive topic in state legislatures, and the backlash has turned hostile against transgender people.

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