Target Removing Pride Reddit: Target has suddenly taken down Pride celebration displays in front of dozens of stores in Southern states. This has made some LGBTQ workers feel left out and angry.
Three workers in Florida say that the decision came down from the company’s headquarters late on Friday. Two of the workers who talked to Insider said that they are LGBTQ and that Friday’s move made them feel angry and alone.
The workers spoke anonymously because they were afraid of losing their jobs because they were not allowed to talk to the media, but Insider was able to confirm who they were and where they worked.
Their comments are similar to dozens that have been posted on social media sites like Reddit by people who say they work for Target and say the company is letting down the LGBTQ community. Insider did not confirm that the Reddit users had jobs.
In a podcast interview that came out just a few days earlier, CEO Brian Cornell talked about how Target is committed to representing “all the families” that shop there. He also said that his diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are “just the right things for our business today.”
Target Removing Pride Reddit
In the interview, Cornell didn’t answer a question about the state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, who is in a growing fight with Disney over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) problems and has been critical of “woke” people.
Conservatives on social media are upset about a swimsuit for transgender people and a line of clothes from a designer they call “satanic.”
A Target representative told Insider that the move was in response to “threats that make our team members feel less safe and less well,” and that the store would remove the items that have caused the most trouble.
Several comments on the r/Target subreddit reflected the LGBTQ sources’ feelings of alienation. One transgender person said, “Just shows they don’t really care about me.”
“The place I work, which is supposed to care about my work and safety, is going back on its word and putting me in danger to make as much money as possible,” said another user. “Either you care about vulnerable people’s safety and well-being, or you don’t. This will make things much worse than they are now.”
A third Reddit user said, “I want to believe Target cares about TM (and guest) safety, but I have a feeling it’s all about making money since people are “boycotting” Target.”
Both LGBTQ employees told Insider that they talked to the HR managers at their stores about their worries. The HR managers were sympathetic, but they told them that the decision came from the top of the company and had to be followed.