This has been the most depressing kick off to Pride Season that I can recall in recent memory. Last week news broke that Target was moving its Pride merch from prominent display in stores and essentially hiding it in the back due to fears for their “team members’ sense of safety and wellbeing while at work.” The instigators of these concerns are fragile right wingers who are wounded by the very sight of colorful merchandise that no one is forcing them to buy. Projection, thy name is Snowflake. Now Kohl’s is the latest to face the hate campaign, but unlike Target they’re standing by their LGBTQIA+ merch:
Kohl’s is one of the latest retailers to face backlash for its Pride Month collection.
People have taken to Twitter to call out the retailer for selling LGBTQIA+ Pride Month clothes and products, including for children, with some calling for consumers to boycott the store entirely.
According to its website, Kohl’s is “committed to amplifying and affirming the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community, celebrating the joy that comes from living authentically and unapologetically not just this month, but all year long.” The Kohl’s Pride collection includes products from gender neutral and inclusive fashion brands like Phluid and TomboyX.
The backlash to Kohl’s comes amid a string of similar reactions as retailers across the U.S. introduce collections for 2023 Pride Month, which begins June 1. Just last week, Target said it altered its Pride 2023 collection displays and availability following backlash.
“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” Target said in a statement to AP News. “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.”
Target added that customers in some stores had knocked down Pride 2023 displays, directing anger at employees and posting threatening videos on social media while in-store.
According to The New York Post, Target had lost $10 billion in market valuation over 10 days as of Sunday amid the Pride Collection controversy, though it is not clear if the backlash alone was entirely responsible for the plunge.
I have very low reserves of faith left, so I’ll just cut to the pragmatics here and say the only thing that will ultimately sway these companies is profit. Shop the hell out of all the Pride lines, in store if possible and if not then online. Professional bigot Matt Walsh has been bragging about making “‘pride’ toxic for brands,” so strike back by making pride profitable instead. Happy First Day of Pride Month.
Well the maga crowd will have nowhere to go eat or buy things if these companies keep standing up to them lol. I love to see the companies not cave. 🌈
Last night I saw a list of all the companies they are currently mad at, and it was LONG. LOL.
They’re going after Chik-fil-A now. That’s one of their own so-called Christian brands.
I’m really and truly sick over this bullshit. It makes me so angry. So yeah, good advice. Going to stop by kohls and buy the shit out of the pride section. It just better be there when I get there.
Same. I don’t even like Pride stuff (it tends to look and come off kind of corny, imo), but I’ll be swinging by Kohls this month to buy some stuff. This is what I want to see from more retailers with Pride collections: Stand with and for the community, and don’t let these MAGA goons think they can bully you into anything.
Off to Kohl’s before my shift. tysm 🌈
If a store sells something I don’t need, want or like then I don’t buy that item.
I’m still going to use that store for the items I do need to buy.
I’m more concerned about the low quality of the clothing items being sold than anything else. Target a few years ago had much better quality and selection vs. now.
Target and Kohls both carry stuff I do like and I will shop both stores before I shop WMart. I haven’t bought anything from WM since 2018.
Dirty stores, angry employees = No.
Exactly this! If you have money to throw at this issue, donate it! Shopping for low quality clothes you don’t really want has a carbon footprint and a chunk of the money probably goes to a Chinese owned factory in Asia
Oh I’m so glad it wasn’t just me – I made the 3+ hour trip to Buffalo (loooonnnngggg border crossing) to visit Target for the first time since before COVID and I was SO disappointed! I bought a bra. That’s it. Target used to have so many great, inexpensive options but now everything just looks so cheap and weirdly cut. It made me so sad and I thought maybe I’m just getting too old (also a distinct possibility lol). Target also used to be so clean and well kept (for a discount/Walmart type store), but both Targets I visited looked like they’d seen a war. Shoes and clothes were everywhere except on hangers and shelves. It was before noon. I don’t even know.
That said, the Pride gear was front and centre and I absolutely considered a pair of very green, very loud coveralls.
WalMart is selling Pride stuff too – where is that outrage?
People were insulting companies for “pride capitalism” and only being in it for the money.
That always struck me as stupid. It is a win to have Pride products everywhere and making it a normal part of life.
Now, they see what happens. There is a far bigger problem than companies selling pride products and maybe being a bit cringey in trying to get a woke image. Now rightwingers are trying to push it underground with violence and are apparently succeeding in some cases.
I hope that the people who were complaining will learn better to better prioritize the real issues now.
F*ck all those right wing racists and bigots!!!! HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!!!
Thank you @ Mireille and all our other allies 🏳️🌈
Happy Pride Month ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
If you’re going to buy Pride merch, please buy it from a company that isn’t rainbow-washing to cash in on Pride Month. Progressive Shopper and the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index can help you identify companies that support LGBTQIA workers and causes.
Etsy is a nice source as well, I find their designs are usually better than department stores for this kind of thing
Yes, search for “queer owned” in Etsy.
Please look into the person you are purchasing from on ETSY. Just because something is on there doesn’t mean it is cheap wholesale goods from overseas.
+1
I understand that people argue that the big box stores are just in it for the Pride cash but that is missing the point of having LGBTQ+ mainstreamed and “normalized”, if you will. That is what the crazies are so angry about. If a young kid is wearing a pride t-shirt and sees that it’s totally normal he will be less inclined to be bigoted as he gets older. It’s taking the stigma out of LGBTQ+ inclusivity. God forbid the support of marginalized people becomes mainstreamed and expected. Let the big retailers have their pride month bump and let LGBTQ+ people feel supported and loved as much as possible.
Well said, D
As professional bigot Matt Walsh is mentioned here, I’m thrilled with the news that, for once, Twitter has done the right thing and reneged on its agreement with Daily Wire to allow the showing of Walsh’s misogynistic, homophobic, & transphobic filth “What is a Woman?” in its entirety on Twitter tonight.
The Daily Wire guys Walsh, Jeremy Boreing & Ben Shapiro are having a meltdown and screaming at Elon Musk all over Twitter because they can’t show their hateful film. It’s glorious.
Big capitalists are almost never on the side of the average person (queer or not). I am suspicious….nonetheless if moral issues are played out within the marketplace, i guess this is a win?
I’m just here to say I love love LOVE Pattie Gonia! Also, I’m queer and these bigoted clowns can go take a long walk off a short dock.
Pattie is awesome! Happy Pride Month!
Does it ever occur to these MAGAs that spew anger and call for boycotting major stores that in their claims they shout about their rights, freedom of speech, etc. Those rights are for everyone.
Where exactly do they think will be left for shopping?
Wal-Mart or Amazon both KNOWN for treating employees badly.
MAGAs, screaming hate but lots of them claim to be Christians. Hypocrites!
Personally, I’d like the big national chains like Target to carry more adaptive clothing for the disabled and seniors, more selection and better quality in all sizes and gender clothing and more selection in comfortable, supportive shoes.
I’m in MN, in my area Target, Kohls, Macys, Penneys, Wal-Mart, Sams Club are about the only brick and mortars stores left for clothing. And of these, the quality is down the prices are up at all.
It hurts my heart that humanity hasn’t learned how to be accepting and compassionate. The only thing I hate is hate. Heading to Kohls this weekend to shop some PRIDE merch. Trolls should go back under their bridges.
I’m taking my $5 Kohl’s cash and spending it this week on something fun @Kohl’s. #pride
Makes me want to go to Kohls and support them.
I’m deeply disappointed that Target caved to bigoted pressure. And Brava! to Kohl’s, who not only stand by their Pride merch, but also have mini-Sephora shops – Gaga’s Haus, Rihanna’s Fenty, Makeup by Mario, oh, my!
I’ve never understood hatred against others based solely upon whom they love. Especially when it’s cloaked in the convenient excuse of “because the bible tells me so.”
On a strictly personal level, it is my belief that nobody over the age of 40 should parade around in statement T-shirts of any kind. But excuse me as I’m heading off to Kohl’s to load up on Pride T’s, just because. And, let’s be honest, even an Old Bag like me is always in need of another lipstick.
I’m probably the only person not mad at Target. They didn’t actually stop promoting these products and brands. They moved them for the very valid reason that their employees were being threatened. I don’t doubt for a moment that out there right now is some wht conservative nutjob stockpiling guns and ammo while looking for someplace to shoot up for some reason.
I looked for the Pride stuff in my local targets but didn’t find it. Was planning on buying something and a case of bud light. My daughter wanted to go with me one evening, but I said ‘nope. I want to do all of this on a busy Saturday for all to see.’ The maga people are so ridiculous!!!
I guess this means I’ll be stopping by Kohl’s for some shopping, as well.
Look all these companies really don’t give a damn about equal rights or inclusivity…they only care about money. They catered to the straight White male for years and years. Now they see that catering to everyone else is more lucrative so they switched it up. Straight White men no longer have the numbers or power to control anything anymore. They can’ t stand the fact the world isn’t eating out of their hands anymore therefore they are having their little temper tantrums. Some straight White women are right there with them too. Spend your money on LGBTQ charities. In fact try and find LGBTQ owned companies to support.