Target scales back on LGBTQ+ Pride Month merch after right-wing outrage damages sales

Target has cut LGBTQ+ Pride Month merchandise from some of its stores this year, according to Bloomberg.

The retailer, which has almost 2,000 locations across the United States, will only stock Pride products in about half of their stores, sources close to the situation told the outlet. The company is still determining which stores will carry the merchandise based on recent sales data. All products will still be available online.

A Target spokesperson only said: “Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round."

The retailer has celebrated Pride Month every June for over a decade with a collection honoring the LGBTQ+ community. Target began removing some Pride items in certain locations in May last year after threats were made to their employees’ safety, a company spokesperson told The Advocate at the time.

"Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work," they said. The behavior ranged from confrontations between customers and workers and items being thrown, to bomb threats or direct threats against employee safety.

Target CEO Brian Cornell later defended the decision to pull products, telling CNBC in November that employees experienced "very aggressive behavior," including threats, destruction of merchandise, and disruptions in the cashier area being reported. Some escalated the hostility by yelling at employees and threatening to “light product on fire” within the stores.

Bloomberg's recent report did not include mentions of employee safety concerns, but rather cited the company as being motivated by the financial impact of the outrage. Target sales dropped 5 percent from April to June compared to the same time period the previous year, the company reported at the time.

The Target spokesperson said they expect second quarter sales to improve this year, though they did not elaborate as to how. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement that “Target’s decision is disappointing and alienates LGBTQ+ individuals and allies at the risk of not only their bottom line but also their values.”

"Pride merchandise means something. LGBTQ+ people are in every zip code in this country, and we aren’t going anywhere," she said. "With LGBTQ+ people making up 30 percent of Gen Z, companies need to understand that community members and allies want businesses that express full-hearted support for the community. That includes visible displays of allyship."