Target Shares Plans for 2024 Pride Month Following Last Year's Backlash

Target has announced its plans for this summer's 2024 Pride Month, despite backlash it experienced during 2023 Pride season. At the time, people destroyed signage and merchandise and confronted store workers. As a result, Target pulled items from its Pride Collection off shelves that had been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior. This, in turn, caused a separate backlash against that decision as Target became the center of a culture battle. At the time Target said its focus going forward is "continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year."

This year, in a corporate blog post, Target didn't address last year's backlash but seemingly followed through with its plan to support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round. The statement read: "At Target, we know our business thrives when we create experiences that foster a sense of belonging. That’s why we support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round." The blog post listed several ways Target is celebrating during Pride Month and throughout the year including:

• Our Pride+ Business Council will host internal events and experiences where interested team members can learn, reflect, celebrate and connect.
• We’re joining local Pride events in our hometown of Minneapolis and around the country.
• We’re offering a collection of products including adult apparel and home and food and beverage items, curated based on consumer feedback. The collection will be available on Target.com and in select stores, based on historical sales performance.
• We continue to support LGBTQIA+ organizations year-round, including Human Rights Campaign, Family Equality and more.
• Target also spotlights LGBTQ-owned brands in our assortment during Pride Month and throughout the year in our stores and online.

Total Retail's Take: By reducing the number of stores with Pride-themed items and offering a scaled-down range of products and more carefully selected suppliers, it appears that Target is taking a cautious approach to Pride Month this year. It's unclear how this strategy will be received by the public, however. LGBTQ+ individuals and allies will likely find the move disappointing, and will view Target as not being committed to its Pride collections. Those on the other side will see Target championing a cause they disagree with. The reality is that Target is in a difficult position, likely believing that it can’t win whatever it does, so it's opting for a compromised middle ground.