More than 200 LGBT groups have expressed their anger over Target’s decision to remove Pride merchandise from its shelves. Now they’ve decided to do something about it.
On June 5, the Human Rights Campaign, along with various LGBT organizations, such as GLAAD, GLSEN, and the National LGBTQ Task Force, released a proposition to the major retailer and demanded it stand by the LGBT community. The proposition was signed off by hundreds of LGBT groups.
In the three-part demand, the groups want Target to “release a public statement in the next 24 hours reaffirming their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.” They also want Target to “put Pride merchandise back” both online and in-store and “ensure safety of team members who are on the front lines.”
The HRC also released a statement and addressed the recent backlash Target and Anheuser-Busch received for their allyship of the LGBT community.
“Recent pushback against businesses such as Anheuser-Busch and Target, blatantly organized by extremist groups, serves as a wake up (sic) call for all businesses that support the LGBTQ+ community. We’ve seen this extremist playbook of attacks before,” the statement read.
Additionally, the organizations claimed the goal of the recent “extremist attacks” was to “prevent LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation, silence our allies and make our community invisible.”
“These attacks fuel hate against LGBTQ+ people, just as we’ve seen this year with more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that restrict basic freedoms and aim to erase LGBTQ+ people,” the coalition continued.
In conclusion, the organizations urged Target, along with other companies, to pick sides.
“When it comes to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, there is no such thing as neutrality,” the statement read.
This recent action came after Target released a statement on May 24 and announced it would remove certain controversial items from its 2023 Pride Collection following threats against its team members.
“Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year,” the statement read.