Target CEO compares conservative Pride backlash to COVID-19 pandemic: Employees weren’t safe

Earlier this year, Target came under attack from conservatives who were angry that the store was selling Pride gear for LGBTQ+ customers. In response, Target pulled much of its Pride merchandise and moved its Pride displays to less visible areas of the store.

Target CEO Brian Cornell explained that decision in an interview today and compared conservatives’ bad behavior in their stores to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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This past May, conservative influencers flocked to Target to create videos where they acted disgusted in front of the rainbow products being sold at Target, accusing the store of “grooming” children by allowing them to see the merchandise. Many of them harassed employees over the Pride displays, while others posted videos to TikTok where they vandalized the displays.

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As anger mounted, Target was being accused of selling tucking swimsuits to children (even though the swimsuit in question was only being sold in adult sizes) and of selling “Satanic” products as fake, AI-generated images were shared online. One trans designer who developed some of Target’s products said he was getting death threats and hate messages from angry conservatives, while several stores dealt with bomb threats.

Even Republican politicians joined in the attacks on Target. A group of Republican attorneys general threatened legal action against the store for selling products for LGBTQ+ people, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) shared bizarre anti-Target rap videos on social media, and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) called for a boycott of Target for being “woke.”

“I’ve seen natural disasters,” Cornell told CNBC in an interview that aired today. “We’ve seen the impact of COVID leading into the pandemic. Some of the violence that took place after George Floyd’s murder. But I will tell you, Becky [Quick], what I saw back in May is the first time since I’ve been in this job where I had store team members saying, ‘It’s not safe to come to work.'”

He said that employees were dealing with “very aggressive behavior” from conservatives who destroyed merchandise and caused disruptions at stores. He said some people “threatened to light product on fire” in stores.

“We had to prioritize the safety of our teams,” Cornell said. “And I knew personally this was not going to be well received. But we had to prioritize the safety of the team.”

His statements expand on what Target said in a statement when it pulled some of the Pride gear and moved the displays to the backs of stores.

“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” the chain said in a statement in May. “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.”

An August 2023 study found that brands that withdraw their support for LGBTQ+-inclusive marketing ultimately lose more customers than they gain. Other marketing experts have also provided advice on how companies can safely support the LGBTQ+ community while also preparing for potential backlash.