More than 100 organizations call on Target, other businesses to stand up to anti-LGBTQ threats

A coalition of more than 100 organizations — several from North Carolina — are calling on the major retail chain Target and the business community at-large to stand up to extremist threats going into LGBTQ Pride month.

As Newsline reported, Target reluctantly decided last week to pull some Pride Month merchandise from its shelves as its stores and employees experienced confrontations and threats.

Target’s Pride Month displays have led to threats of violence and confrontations in stores, the company said this week.
(Photo: Joe Killian)

“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” the company said in a written statement posted to its website. “Given 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. 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.”

Target has supported Pride Month each June for more than a decade. With nearly 2,000 Target locations in 51 U.S. States and territories, the company’s reach makes it one of the more visible corporate allies in the LGBTQ community. Anheuser-Busch, another long-time sponsor of Pride events, recently experienced a major conservative backlash for helping a trans influencer celebrate her transition with a personalized Bud Lite. When the company reacted to the controversy by placing two marketing executives involved with the move on leave, backlash from the LGBTQ community led to some bars pulling the company’s products.

Find the remainder of the article at www.ncnewsline.org.