Criticized retailer Target has funded a radical education group that is pushing for guidelines for “woke school” for the release of its LGBTQ pride product, despite fierce backlash.
The brand says it’s “proud” of its association with K-12 education group GLSEN, which is pressuring school boards to allow children to transition secretly without parental consent and to make sexually explicit books available in classrooms.
It also includes guidance for teachers on how to transform classes like math and science to be “more inclusive of trans and non-binary identities,” including using “they/them” pronouns in lesson plans, reports Fox News.
“GLSEN is leading the movement in creating affirmative… and anti-racist spaces for LGBTQIA+ students,” Target said. “We are proud of the more than 10 years of cooperation with GLSEN and continue to support their mission.”
Target lost billions in market value after recently launching its annual Pride marketing campaign
The retailer was criticized for offering “pocket-friendly” options for women’s swimwear
Target has lost billions in market value after launching its annual Pride marketing campaign, which included a controversial “Tuck Friendly” women’s swimwear line.
And the company’s close ties with GLSEN have since come to light amid the backlash, with Target reportedly having donated more than $2.1 million to the group over the years.
The panel’s guidelines include recommendations for teachers to intervene when students are learning about sex and gender, to ensure it fits the group’s ideology.
“If students want to create their own surveys and include sex data, teachers need to make sure they include both intersex and opposite-sex choices,” says a lesson plan from the group.
“And if students want to include gender data, there are different choices to consider, such as agender, gender fluid, female, male, non-binary, trans male, trans female, and others.”
One of the core goals of the group is to support transgender youth in their transition, even without parental consent.
School districts’ policy on this matter is to keep all “medical information pertaining to transgender and non-binary students” confidential, extending beyond classrooms to include “parents or legal guardians.”
Target and GLSEN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Target was criticized for the Pride marketing campaign, which included children’s books
Target has reportedly donated more than $2.1 million to GLSEN to support their lobbying efforts
Target’s support for the group comes as their CEO Brian Cornell defended the controversial Pride Month marketing campaign.
“When we think about purpose at Target, it’s really about helping all families, and the word ‘everyone’ is really important,” he said on Fortune’s Leadership Next podcast.
“Most Americans shop at Target, so we want to do what’s right to support families across the country.”
“I think those are just good business decisions, and it’s what’s right for society and what’s great for our brand.”
Cornell insisted the release would boost profits despite the backlash, saying, “I know that a focus on diversity, inclusion and equity has driven much of our growth over the past nine years.”
However, some critics said the brand “deserves the Bud Light treatment” – a nod to the beer giant’s devastating boycott following its partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The GLSEN platform also includes the push to allow natural men to participate in women’s sports, stating that participation should follow “gender identity” and no “legal or medical documentation” is required.
Target’s campaign is also related to criticism of Adidas for its decision to use organic men as models for its women’s swimwear.
The sportswear giant faced boycott calls after using the male models to promote its female line for its Pride 2023 collection, prompting allegations that the marketing campaign was “killing women”.
Both models, described online as “she”, have hairy breasts, visible bulges and are described as being 6’1″ with a 34′ chest and 27′ waist. Also, one of the biological male models posed in a sports bra.
Sportswear giant Adidas used two biologically male models to promote its swimwear line
Nike used trans social media star Mulvaney to promote its activewear in April and faced a similar backlash
The recent push by some big brands to use wake marketing campaigns prompted former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines to tell that she’s “hopeful that athletes are doing the right thing and coming out and calling it out.”
“As a swimmer, not only is it heartbreaking or demeaning to see these men and see these companies empower these men to promote women’s clothing, but it also feels like a betrayal.”
“It’s something we see over and over again, but we only see it from a certain perspective.” “We only see men promoting women’s clothing and not the other way around.”
Gaines, a spokesperson for the Independent Women’s Forum, has become a leading voice against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports after finishing fifth at last year’s NCAA championships against controversial trans swimmer Lia Thomas.