A customer walks into a Target store on February 28 in San Rafael, Calif.
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A customer walks into a Target store on February 28 in San Rafael, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Target is removing some Pride Month merchandise from store shelves after facing a backlash against the products, including threats against the safety of its workers.
The retail giant said in a statement posted on its website Wednesday which was committed to celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community but was withdrawing some items due to threats that “were impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being” at work.
“Due to these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior,” the company said.
Pride Month takes place in June, although some of the items were already on sale.
Target did not respond to a series of follow-up questions from NPR, such as which items were removed and whether it was increasing security at its stores.
Reuters reported that the company is removing from its stores and website products created by the LGBTQ brand Abprallen, which offers some products that contain spooky and gothic images, such as skulls and Satan, in pastel colors.
Conservative activists and media also gave to Target in recent days for selling “tuck-friendly” women’s swimwear that allows some trans women to hide their genitalia, the Associated Press reported.
Target has been selling only tuck-able swimsuits made for adults — and not, contrary to false rumors online, for children or in children’s sizes, the AP also found.
Those meshes are among a group of products under review by Target but not yet removed, Reuters said.
In addition to the public criticism of the company, the video as well they came out on social media of people throwing[ul-wirjiettal-Pridemal-artf’[anutTarget
“Gruppi estremisti jridu jaqsmuna u fl-aħħar mill-aħħar ma jridux biss li l-prodotti tal-qawsalla jisparixxu, iridu li nisparixxu,” Kelley Robinson, president tal-Kampanja tad-Drittijiet tal-Bniedem, qal fi tweet.
“Il-komunità LGBTQ+ iċċelebrat Pride with Target għal dawn l-aħħar għaxar snin. Target jeħtieġ li tkun magħna u tirdoppja l-impenn tagħhom magħna,” żiedet tgħid.
Michael Edison Hayden, reporter investigattiv anzjan u kelliem għan-Nofsinhar tal-Liġi tal-Faqar, organizzazzjoni tad-drittijiet ċivili li ssegwi r-reati ta ‘mibegħda, qal lil NPR li t-treġġigħ lura ta’ Target se jservi biss biex jinkoraġġixxi theddid aktar vjolenti.
“Jekk [Target is] they’re going to step up on that, and they’re going to put support out there for the LGBTQ+ population, I think once they get into that fight they have a responsibility to support that community,” he said. “As soon as you’re back. like this, it sends a message that bullying works, and that it makes it a lot scarier than if it had never started.”
Target is the latest company to face criticism and boycott threats over products aimed at supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Bud Light faced a backlash on social media and saw sales plummet after Anheuser-Busch ran an ad campaign featuring popular trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Earlier this month, Target CEO Brian Cornell said in interview with FortuneLeading the Next Podcast that the company wants to support “all families” and that “its focus on diversity and inclusion and equity has fueled much of our growth over the past nine years.”
