LGBTQ+ rights
The retailer removed some clothing items that the CPAC group described as “demonic paraphernalia” amid death threats against designers
The right-wing Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC) has attacked US retailer Target over items from its Pride collection. This is the latest in a wave of conservative backlash against LGBTQ communities and corporations promoting their civil rights.
The group issued a statement on Thursday denouncing the retailer for “advertising demonic paraphernalia” from its LGBTQ+ collection.
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“CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp has sent a letter to Brian Cornell, Chairman and CEO of Target Corporation, and his board members with the disturbing news that they have worked with a satanic designer to promote demonic paraphernalia in their stores,” it said in the CPAC statement.
“Like Bud Light, Target has failed its customer base – many are religious people and find these actions by Target simply unacceptable,” the statement said, referring to the anti-trans backlash Bud Light has faced over a brief partnership with a trans influencer received .
CPAC’s anger at Target comes after the retailer sold designs by British brand Rebound that featured images of skulls and pentagrams in pastel colours. At the helm of the brand is trans designer Erik Carnell, who said he received hundreds of death threats after Target launched his clothes.
“I received many death threats. I received a lot of gun threats,” Carnell told the Daily Dot, adding that he “lost count” of how many threats he received after 500.
Target has reportedly removed Rebound apparel and will also remove other Pride merchandise from its stores after backlash and threats against Target employees from a minority of its customers.
Target hasn’t said what specific items it will be removing. But women’s “tuck-in-friendly” swimsuits — swimwear that allows some transgender women to hide their genitals — have also drawn backlash from conservatives online.
“Since the launch of this year’s collection, we have experienced threats that impact the sense of security and well-being of our team members at work,” Target said in a statement Tuesday.
“Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing elements that have been the focus of the most significant confrontational behavior.”
Target’s decision to discontinue some of its Pride merchandise has drawn criticism from prominent designers and public figures, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has accused the company of giving in to anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.
However, Carnell posted a bounce statement on the Etsy store, saying that there was a rush of orders after the attacks and that demand was so great that the company temporarily stopped accepting new orders.
“Your support during this extremely difficult time means more than I can express,” Carnell said on the Etsy page.
The latest from CPAC comes as conservative politicians across the US pass a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, with many bills targeting the rights of transgender people. Such laws affect almost every aspect of public life, including education and healthcare.
According to data from the Human Rights Campaign, a US LGBTQ+ advocacy group, US states will have introduced more than 540 anti-LGBTQ+ laws in 2023. 45 such laws have been passed, several of which aim to provide gender-equitable health care for minors.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed a bill into law Monday that would ban gender-based tutoring for anyone under the age of 19. Nebraska now joins at least 19 other states that have similar restrictions on transgender people’s access to health care.
“The governor’s decision to enforce these sweeping restrictions betrays a complete disregard for the liberty, health and well-being of Nebraskaans,” Mindy Rush Chipman, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, told the Associated Press. “Just as we’ve seen in other states, these bans will do significant harm, hitting already vulnerable communities the hardest.”
Anti-LGBTQ legislation also targets the right of transgender people to use the restroom of their choice. Last month, the Kansas legislature overrode a veto by the state’s Democratic governor and passed one of the toughest toilet laws.
At least eight other states have similar laws restricting toilet use by transgender people.
Other anti-LGBTQ+ laws target education, including classroom materials and opportunities for transgender students to participate in activities such as school sports.
Laws like Florida’s “don’t say gay” law have resulted in book bans statewide. The law allows people to challenge material that “depicts or depicts sexual conduct” and requires prior parental consent for disputed material.
Last month, Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a bill banning trans girls and trans women from participating in sports teams in schools that receive public funds, joining several states that have enacted similar bans under the guise of protecting women’s sports.
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