MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — After spending the better part of the last two years fighting backlash from the LGBT community over its political donations to anti-gay candidates, retailer Target Corp. announced it is launching a pride promotion for the month of June.
The retailer said it will be offering 10 rainbow-themed T-shirts for sale online, and promised to donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the Family Equality Council, a Washington D.C.-based group that advocates for LGBT families, reported the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Ten T-shirts are now featured on Target’s website with gay-friendly themes. Two feature a design by rocker Gwen Stefani, who has her own line of kids’ hipster clothing called Harajuku Mini at Target. The Stefani design reads, “Love is love.” Each Pride T-shirt sells for $12.99, all of which will be donated to the Family Equality Council.
Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder said the Pride T-shirt promotion grew out of a grass-roots effort among employees and the company’s LGBTA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allies) Business Council, which includes about 1,200 employees at the company’s headquarters.
“Target supports inclusivity and diversity in every aspect of our business and has a long history of supporting the LGBT community through giving, volunteerism and event sponsorship and participation,” spokeswoman Molly Snyder said in a statement. “Over the past year, we heard from our team members and guests that they’d like to see an assortment of Pride merchandise available at Target.”
The announcement comes as a surprise to many gay rights activists, who in 2010 launched a nationwide boycott of the retailer over a $150,000 donation Target made to MN Forward, a group that supported gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, a staunch opponent of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage.
Later that year, it was revealed that Target continued donating to anti-gay politicians, even after CEO Gregg Steinhafel reaffirmed the company’s long-standing support for gay rights and committed to reforming the review process for future political donations.
“I think that maybe the donation to Minnesota Forward and the backlash really served as a catalyst for employees inside of Target to have their voices heard,” said Dot Belstler, of Pride Twin Cities.
Target said it would give a maximum of $120,000 to the Family Equality Council.
Target’s pride campaign comes as the debate heats up over same-sex marriage, and the retailer has not yet taken a public position on the upcoming Minnesota Marriage Amendment, which would place a ban on gay marriage into the state constitution.
In 2011, Target sued the California activist organization, “Canvass For A Cause,” to block them from asking customers outside Target stores to sign petitions to help the cause of marriage equality. A judge later ruled against Target.
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good job !!
awesome
If this is true, then this is a great advance… Hope they live up to their end of the bargain
i’m still skeptical until they sell it IN-STORE
But didn’t like they donate money to anti-gay candidate
Still not convinced it’s being done for the right reasons.
I thought they were anti gay ….
…i want to buy one…
Are there going to be any stores for One Million Moms to shop at?!?! Lol. Go Target!
Too Little, Too Late! http://www.queerty.com/targets-ceo-please-stfu-about-our-anti-gay-donations-20110609/
there only available online, not in the stores for the children to see….LOL
with all the great news about 100% of the proceeds going to LGBT … they are going to donate a max of $120,000 to equality family council
It seems almost appologetic. I suppose I appreciate that and the charity monies, but yes I’d like to see them in stores as well.
cough cough Che Guevara T-shirts cough cough
Why not in the store???
I’m sorry. I don’t believe this is anything but a publicity stunt to try and repair their tarnished reputation with the LGBT community. Nice try, Target.
These shirts offered ONLY online? What a bunch of typical TARGET B.S! I will NOT purchase this shirt ONLINE…I am NOT “sub-human”! Target can bite OUR collective LGBT ass!
Jacob, It is bringing in the ONE MILLION F-CKED UP MOMS though…
it’s better to forgive and allow people to correct their mistakes….unless of course you are perfect and never made a mistake or changed your mind. I think it’s GREAT that they are reaching out and repairing their wrongs, Like JC Penny with Ellen….I say <3 Target!
Buy the shirt on-line and RETURN IT AT YOUR NEAREST OUTLET!!!!
first folks we the GLBT community have not recieved and apology from Target CEO Greg Steinhafel for the donations!he stated”we will better watch where our campain money goes in the future” I was in the earlyest part of the boycott of target I know what was done what was said I will never accept an apology now! this febble attempt to say “were sorry” just dosnt cut it Im sorry. Greg Steinhafel sent his children to a private “religious collage whos cericulum includes anti GLBT propaganda so go ahead think this fake olive branch is a censire apology or do the right thing and let them hear static!
Please support Gap, JC Penney, Urban Outfitters, and Toys R Us — stores targeted by the hate group called One Million Moms, a project funded by the American Family Association to attack ‘morality’, an organization designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as officially a ‘Hate Group’.
One wonders how their definition of morality handles the concept of deliberately hating and harming other human beings, especially considering they claim allegiance to a creator who made every human in their image — er, maybe only some humans were made by this creator…
Target is covering up some mistakes, and doing a half-hearted job of it since these products are not available in Target stores, just online.
so can we shop at Target again or not?
Just looked at the shirts, so not impressed. The majority of them say Harmony in cascading rainbow lettering which quite honestly, in my opinion, doesn’t come across as having a whole lot to do with gay rights. Lots of people wear shirts that say harmony and don’t associate it with gay rights. The Harajuku shirts are the only ones I would consider spending money on. Overall, Target just comes off ashamed.
@ april cole……why do you support urban outfitters but not target??
http://www.good.is/post/miley-cyrus-outs-urban-outfitters-for-donating-to-anti-gay-candidates/
Thanks, Jay Kroll. The boycott of Urban Oufitters is still ON.
Dear Target: You can kiss my boycotting gay ass. You donated to anti-gay governors. You donated to Michele Bachmann, arguably (with Rick Santorum) the most viciously anti-gay candidate and beard for her self-loathing gay husband), you never apologized for it, and you aren’t even selling the shirts in your stores, so it can all be kept secret. Did I mention you can kiss my boycotting ass??
Awesome!
Ken……u said it all! Target can go suck it!
Ill buy one when i see it in stores!
I will not support this company EVER. The politician they donated to is affiliated with a “Christian” rock band that condones the murder of LGBT citizens in Uganda and Iran. This can’t be fixed with a few cheap tokens offered online. These people are dangerous, don’t trust them.
Guess they’re trying to be more queer-friendly.
They just want our money. No real support to the LGBT community.
hogwash
Way to go Target!
I knew there was more than one reason i liked target!!!