Companies have been facing backlash this year for supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Social media users are targeting companies, part of Right-wing and other conservative institutions, to stop selling Pride merchandise.
These groups threaten to boycott these corporations if they keep supporting the LGBTQ+ community. The threats of boycotting started with Bud Light and Target when they started their marketing campaigns for pride month.
By CNBC
“The goal is to make ‘pride’ toxic for brands,” Matt Walsh said, “If they decide to shove this garbage in our face, they should know that they’ll pay a price. It won’t be worth whatever they think they’ll gain. First Bud Light and now Target. Our campaign is making progress. Let’s keep it going.”
After all the threats of violence aimed toward their employees, Target decided to remove some items from their Pride merchandise. The outrage started with statements made by conservative media users about Target selling bathing suits that are “tuck friendly” for children and for selling satanic products by Erik Carnell. None of the statements made by the social media users were true. Though Erik Carnell does have shirts that say things like, “satan respects pronouns,” Target was not selling those shirts. Also, the “tuck-friendly” bathing suits are for adults, not for children.
“The move by Target comes in the wake of backlash against several other high-profile companies over attempts to broaden their customer base ahead of Pride Month in June,” Gage Jackson said.
Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, faced threats after a video posted in May on social media featuring Dylan Mulvaney receiving personalized beer cans. The company backed away from the promotion after its sales dropped.
By MarketWatch
“The fact that a small group of extremists are threatening disgusting and harsh violence in response to Target continuing its long-standing tradition of offering products for everyone should be a wake-up call for consumers and is a reminder that LGBTQ people, venues, and events are being attacked with threats and violence like never before,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president, and CEO of GLAAD.
Other companies like North Face, Starbucks, Kohl’s, and even the LA Dodgers have faced backlash this year. North Face and Kohl’s did not stop selling their merchandise this pride month, but the LA Dodgers did uninvite the drag group called The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The Dodgers re-invited them after other LGBTQ+ groups threatened to withdraw from the event.
While the conservatives will still try to get companies to support traditional merchandising, companies still participate in pride parades. Some companies have not posted on their social media for pride month; they have donated a lot of money to the LGBTQ+ community and will participate in the pride parades nationwide.
By Los Angeles Times
Companies have been facing backlash this year for supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Social media users are targeting companies, part of Right-wing and other conservative institutions, to stop selling Pride merchandise.
These groups threaten to boycott these corporations if they keep supporting the LGBTQ+ community. The threats of boycotting started with Bud Light and Target when they started their marketing campaigns for pride month.
“The goal is to make ‘pride’ toxic for brands,” Matt Walsh said, “If they decide to shove this garbage in our face, they should know that they’ll pay a price. It won’t be worth whatever they think they’ll gain. First Bud Light and now Target. Our campaign is making progress. Let’s keep it going.”
*Originally posted on Standpoint News, Summer 2023
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