Just days after Target launched its line of gay Pride t-shirts, the haters have come out swinging.
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council has released a statement attacking the big-box retailer’s inclusive gesture:
“Target’s slogan is “expect more.” And when it comes to their politics, Americans do… One of America’s biggest companies isn’t just named Target–it’s becoming one. Starting May 20, the mega-chain’s introducing a new line of same-sex “marriage” merchandise that says, “Love is love.” Target promises to donate 100% of the profits to a national homosexual group–but they don’t specify which one.
Retail analyst Britt Beemer says that Target’s strategy isn’t “very smart,” especially in conservative states, where it does the biggest business. “Anytime a retailer gets away from doing what they should be doing by being involved in a social cause, [they] lose.” The company said it wanted to “resonate beyond fashion.” But if they’re looking to resonate with Americans, they ought to try defending marriage. According to voters, the country’s still very opposed to redefining it. Let Target know that its agenda isn’t your style. Log on to target.com, scroll down, and click “Contact Us.”
We’re not sure if Perkins is being disingenuous or just ignorant—Target has clearly stated proceeds from the shirts will benefit the Family Equality Council, which supports LGBT families (a favorite target of FRC).
Also, the shirts—which are only available online—don’t say anything about gay marriage or even LGBT rights: The innocuous slogans, like “Love is Love,” “Harmony” and ‘Pride,” could mean almost anything. (And we’re fully aware that’s how Target planned it.)
Perkins’ buddies at the American Family Association are encouraging members to send emails to Target to indicate they’re pissed the company is “ramming same-sex marriage down the throats of the American people.” (Gee, that’s not a weird choice of words. No siree.)
The prefab message reads:
Dear Chairman Steinhafel:
Thirty-one states have overwhelmingly voted for constitutional amendments to protect marriage as only between one-man, one-woman. And your company does business in all of these states.
That’s why I can’t understand why Target would purposely choose to offend me by donating cash to support the Family Equality Council’s push for legalizing homosexual marriage.
I urge you to reconsider this promotion and stop supporting a gay marriage campaign.
Otherwise, I will reconsider shopping at your stores and choose making my purchases from your competitors.
In a nice turn of events, it seems Target’s email system is blocking messages from the AFA’s “action alert” system. But Grand Wizard Wildmon is encouraging his flock to contact the retailer directly.
So if you want to let Target know you support their overture to the gay community, be sure to let them know with a message to [email protected] or by calling 612-304-6073.
Of course, if you think the shirts are just pandering—or are being marketed in a lame, half-measure way to avoid upsetting the right—then, um, don’t.
Source: Back2Stonewall
shle896
I’ve ordered two already.
Velos
Wait Ok I can remember seeing an article some place a few months back that say to BOYCOTT TARGET because they were supporting a bunch of anti- gay politicians or something like this?
Now Target comes out with Pride Tees? I am confused.. so is Target now a good thing or a bad thing for us LGBTQ people?
See the link below about the boycott of Target do to what I was talking about above
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20011983-503544.html
shle896
@Velos: You’re absolutely right, but if it pisses off or derails the message of anti-gay groups like the AFA, then I’m all about it. Whatever they encourage Americans to do in response to an innocent gay t-shirt line, I’ll happily do the opposite.
1equalityUSA
I adore it when one thousand moms go into a tail-spin like this. You know stores are doing something right when the haters start furiously buzzing over the nest. Thanks Target. Entertainment is an important investment. I think I’ll traipse through the isles with my short hair and LGBT cash and purchase items Gay-lore.
Charli
Target is TRYING!!! Awesome! Their really trying to b on the right side of history!!!
Give it up for Target! I guess I can start shopping there again.
Larry
the more “gay” that is shown on tv or sold in stores the more the mainstream straight population will become comfortable and accepting…nothing will ever win over the religious nuts
Bob
This is so outrageous. The wolf in sheep’s clothing emerges yet again. Capping the donation of the tee shirts at $120,000 yet Target contributed $150,000 to the Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010. Target has directly marketed to LGBT community for years yet as a corporation they have not endorsed gay rights. So the employee ‘grass roots’ initiative, results in selling tee shirts to perpetuate the notion that the company supports LGBT rights. I have not shopped at Target since 2010 because this reason. Consumers need to wake up and realize that Target as a company has VERY aggressively marketed to the LGBT community and hasn’t endorsed gay rights. It took Lady Gaga pulling her album months after the contribution was made to gain any awareness this issue. If Target lost the extremely profitable gay consumer they might change their tune.
tookietookie
This is why I continue to eat at Chik-Fil-A. Any day now they’ll have Pride Nuggets. *Please Big Gay Jesus… Please…*
Chad
Funny the right wing groups never protest stores for selling condoms, a form of birth control. Which is something most of them are against. It is my understanding these shirts are not sold in stores but online only. Meaning noone who will be offended by them are in no way forced to look at them.
Charli
Seriously? There only online? Ughh screw em then!!
Freaking closeted “ain’t helping shit!”
OhReally
Oh so it’s OK to attack and invade Target when they were funding traditional marriage candidates..but now they are carrying something you agree with you want to defend it..hypocrisy at it’s worst
Mark Fitzsimmons
hypocrisy at it’s worst. lets talk about Lady Gaga telling her fans to purchase her album she pulled from Target at WALMART. So when it comes down to the most basic argument its all about money and not being on a particular side.
Mark Fitzsimmons
@tookietookie: I will never give up my Chick Fila.
Charli
Ok point taken: but don’t you think that
bc they are only online is a way for them
to hide the fact that they are supporting
LGBT???
Ur thoughts?
Charli
No no no no way chik file !!!!!
love the sandwich but they can kiss my
gay ass!!!
cam
The money Target donated went to a politician with ties to a group that advocated killing gays and they are capping any money raised from selling these at LESS than they donated before. So I guess they just keep all the profits after that.
AND
They said they wouldn’t donate to groups like that again, and just a month later did the EXACT SAME THING.
Until they change their political donation policies nothing is different.
William
Let me go order a shirt or two
Randi
I am not a parent, yet I am not upset that Target sells infant clothes. What seems to be the problem here? If you have no use for the product, you simply do not purchase it. Who has any right to dictate what LEGAL product a company may sell to make a profit?
uh oh
BRB buy one of each…
B
No. 10 · Charli wrote, “Seriously? There only online? Ughh screw em then!!”
Why? They try to sell products at low prices which means you have to put products in the stores that sell quickly so the inventory costs don’t kill you.
If those shirts sold like hotcakes, with everyone wanting one, those shirts would appear in Target’s stores.
J Stratford
Im still not buying from Target.
They lost me with Emmer. This is a positive sign but it will take some time for me to come around. Their vacuous response to the gay issue last time makes me think that this is a gimmick to bring back gays and allies who have been the key differentiator – provider of glamor – of Target over a more dumpy place like Wal-Mart. Nothing here shows me that they wont send out $150K to another anti-gay politician ever again.
Fool me once…
SteveB MKE
Stand up for your rights! Boycott Target, Chick Fil a, Harley Davidson, Men’s Warehouse, Best Buy, Walmart, Cracker Barrel. For a full list look at HRC and their “Worst” as far as gay rights go. Unless I missed Target donating 150K to a worthy gay cause like the Trevor Project they can kiss my big hairy hole. BTW, Buy American when ever possible and do not be fooled you fickle trendsters. No Target Missoni for you, no Carhart, stop spending money at places and buying products from companies that would sooner drive over you if they could than stand by your side.
Richard
GO TARGET ……… 🙂
Charli
@B:
I hear ya, like the other folks posting, I’m a lil
skeptical. EVERYWHERE I shop I use my HRC app
FIRST to make sure I’m not giving my hard earned $ to some
bigot! I had a woman come over to me in one the stores
and ask what I was doing. I told her I was checking every single
item before I purchased it, and I told her why.
And she responded ” Wow that’s a great idea”
I’m not sure Targets angle, but seeing everyone’s views help
to make a decision that’s for sure.
D9W
@BOB-
Lets face it Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council is a closet case and this only goes to prove it.
Target selling trying to sell Pride Shirts is a start. But I am still weary of them. Target is still about making money. As for the online part- The retailer is not going to be able to sell enough shirts in one store to make it profitable. There is a lot of waist (RND) if you put this in every store. Also this is good for the customer in that Target doesn’t have to worry about having 200 shirts that are XMSmall, and no regular, or XXL to sell. YES, I do agree this is a pain in that the customer cant get the shirt in their little grubby hands right now, but as I said it means people who are XL and XXL have a better chance of getting the shirt.
Gus
Target knows that every happy HOMO can get to a computer with an internet connection….even happy HOMOs living out *east-of-jesus*……and order some gay shirts.
Getting to an actual store for many is out of the question due to travel distance.
Target knows that the internet opens the door to unlimited numbers of buyers. duhhhhh
B
No. 24 · Charli wrote, “@B: I hear ya, like the other folks posting, I’m a lil
skeptical.” Oh, go ahead and be skeptical about the issues you mentioned – I was
simply pointing out that there are good reasons why something might appear in an on-line “store” and not a real store. That’s independent of whether Target contributes to people you don’t like or does something else that might be a reason for you to shop somewhere else (which I didn’t mention explicitly because it seemed obvious to me).
billywingartenson
@shle896: I wasnt going to buy from Target but next stop on the inet is their store
Its my virtual way of giving Mr. Perkins what he really wants. ( Hint – got to pull his pants off first)
billywingartenson
I just bot the shirt – including shipping and sales tax (they have local stores) it ran just under $19
to tony perkins – go fuck your self, but if you cant do it I’ve always wanted at least one gay sex experience and your ass on the inet would be so much fun
MFr
billywingartenson
oH YES – isnt the one million moms kunt hate group also crapping in their panties over target.
I’d be glad to give them what statistics I saw last year say about hetero couples – 37% of them do it in the back door.
Jaack65
Target does what is good for TARGET. Politics isn’t MONEY. MONEY can & does buy EVERYTHING! Pink(gay) money is still GREEN.
1equalityUSA
I wish pink money was available. Sellers would shut up when they saw the amount LGBT spends on their products.