Despite its accommodations to queer employees, Target has been the scourge of queer blogs ever since it made a donation to anti-gay Minnesota Republican Tom Emmer. But now they’ve released an It Gets Better video and it covers coming out, bullying, religion, parental disapproval, and the military. What it lacks in racial diversity it makes up for in teary-eyed closeups and warm personal moments complete with plucky messages on dry-erase boards.
So if Target promises never to give to another anti-gay organization ever, will you finally forgive it?
and i thought that gays are smart
“So if Target promises never to give to another anti-gay organization ever”
WTF?!
Target supported a POLITICIAN, not anti-gay organization.
Target is a company, they supported a POLITICIAN because he could help their
business.
Spike
I’m starting to think that boycotts by the LGBT community have become problematic for corporate America. Target continues to show a desperation to undo the bad publicity gained from that single donation. It’s kinda like the bullys are finally afraid of the nerds.
Ron
It is a good “It Gets Better” spot. Yeah, I think I might.
Sam
That was an amazing video! Very powerful!
rahrahblah
Target didn’t just support “a politician.” They support several. The also support PAC’s that in turn support politicians. Unfortunately, most of them are anti-gay.
Kudos for the attempt at calling intellect into question, though.
Mike in Asheville
Great video! Okay, so it gets posted on the IGB website and Trevor Project, BUT, does anyone know whether Target did/will email blast it to all employees?
*************
Per: “So if Target promises never to give to another anti-gay organization ever, will you finally forgive it?”
Target gave money to a person for their political campaign — that is not the same thing as donating money to anti-gay organization. Nonetheless, yes, this video does go a long way in reaffirming good civil-rights business citizenship.
Fausto Fernos
@Spike: Actually it’s not a single donation, it’s a company policy to support anti-gay politicians, and they donate thousands of dollars every year to “community groups” many of them anti-gay organizations. Lady Gaga doesn’t buy it, and neither should you:
http://www.queerty.com/target-has-changed-its-corporate-giving-policies-oh-please-dont-believe-this-20110217/
Fausto Fernos
To Target- if you want to stop bullying, start with yourself!
Stop acting like a bully and stop supporting anti-gay politicians and groups with your company’s money.
Is it me, or do the employees in this video look like they are being held hostage? Like someone is pointing a gun at them forcing them to do this video.
Oscar Raymundo
The guy at the 0:25 mark. The hair! The eyebrows! The premature botox!
Michael
Can I just say something??? This video seems fake BIG time. Maybe I’m wrong but the stories are a little too polished, the deliveries seem a bit too scripted and there is NOTHING real or authentic about these people. To me, it does not ring as people telling their true stories. There’s no hesitations, no shivers in their voices, NOTHING.
This seems way more like actors delivering lines with the script saying “And now hold up a card that say ‘PROUD!’ and smile”.
The one major thing that makes me feel this is a fake production is NONE of these actors are nervous when telling their stories. It’s a bit too slick and wrapped up too nicely in my opinion. If I was sitting in front of a camera tell the world my story I wouldn’t be all giddy and happy and I might even get choked up at some point recounting how I almost killed myself while growing up.
Michael
btw, Target has some balls coming out with an “It Gets Better” video when they support politicians who want to make sure things only get worse.
Eric
Dan, you speak as if Queerty wasn’t the main force behind the Target hatred.
Flipper
@and i thought that gays are smart: Target supported a PAC, not a politician. But it matters little – both the PAC and the politician have ties to anti-gay groups, including a “Christian” rock band that called for gays to be put to death.
Kev C
Seems scripted. Actors reading or memorizing their lines. Strangely idiotic. Spice Girls and Sound of Music. What shirt should I wear?
SteveC
This video is FAKE.
Target remains homophobic.
That Greg Steinhafel person remains a bigot who gives money to other bigots.
He needs to be sacked.
JJ
@ Michael- I am one of the employees in the video, not an actor. I went in and told my story, unscripted, and every word was true. I did it because I believe in the Trevor project and my company does too. This was done because it is an amazing cause.
@All- Please hold us accountable, but allow us to move forward. You don’t need to like Target or shop at Target. I will continue to work for equality with my company with the same passion I have had for years.
I have worked for other fortune 500 companies that should also be held to this standard. We should pressure all companies to make progress.
Peace.
Ginasf
Yes, I am a broken record (but sometimes, I have to be). No trans people in the video (yes, one woman is the partner of a trans person, whoopee). So no, it’s not a good video for the LGBT community. If you’re worried about suicides and marginalization of young people in the LGBT community, then not having trans people in the video just makes young trans people (the group with the highest rate of attempted suicides) more invisible. Fail.
And yes, considering how long after the spate of suicides this has been released, it is totally self-serving crass PR.
Jake the libertarian
@Flipper: which band?
Caliban
Would ANY company would give money to a “good for business” politician who was also a white supremacist? I seriously doubt it. The beneficiaries of Target’s political donations weren’t just a little “iffy” on a few gay rights issues, they were RABIDLY homophobic. While Target may find the rights of certain patrons to be negligible when it comes to politics, those patrons don’t feel the same way and responded accordingly. What it boils down do is, “Don’t ask for my money then hand it over to politicians who say I’m comparable to those who fuck children or dogs.” Is it really that hard to figure out?
I’m glad Target is good to their gay employees. But the tipping point where it’s OK to support rabidly homophobic politicians AND court gay dollars has passed. And with certain of Target’s labor practices coming to light, at least at the store level there’s reason to question how good they truly are to their employees, straight or gay.
fuzzy
While most of these people sound genuine, I swear I’ve seen at least two of them before, and I don’t think it was at my local Target, because I’m just not in there that often (or anymore, actually). Weird.
SteveC
@JJ – and what do you make of the CEO of Target – the horrific bigot Greg Steinhafel – who believes that Target’s LGBT employees are 2nd class citizens?
Dave
I’m employee of Target, and was asked to share my story in this project, just like those who participated in this video. For my own reasons I choose not to. Not because of the blind decisions my company made to support MN Forward but because I was afraid of how it would be received. I’m not as outgoing as these team members but I’m advancing what I can in my community. I proudly, no, more accurately, humbly stand with these team members. Not because they are from Target but because they speak the truth, beautifully. Yes I agree they could be models but they aren’t. Target made a mistake, and well, judge them, encourage them, support them or give up. But in my opinion they are moving faster than any other company on these issues,even if they were a step behind our ideal. And really does anyone really know what’s going on here in Minnesota? Has the hope/victory in New York made you blind to our situation here in the Midwest? Emmer didn’t win but we are still facing a anti marriage constitutional vote. If he would have won at least it would have been a simple legislative law to address but we’re dealing with something now far more serious. And respectfully SteveC, I’ve met Gregg Steinhafel and I don’t know what you are talking about.