Though Pride Month and other inclusivity initiatives have been around for years, they've increasingly become litmus tests for consumers, forcing companies to fully commit on social issues or yield to critics.
Police officers stand outside of a Target store as a group of people protest across the street, Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Miami. Target announced that it removed products and relocated Pride displays to the back of certain stores in the South. Activists in the LGBTQ+ community are calling for new campaigns to convince corporate leaders not to cave to anti-LGBTQ+ groups.
Retailers such as Kohl's, Walmart and PetSmart have also felt backlash from the far right for stocking items that extol equal rights and acceptance for gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. That interaction leaves the supervisor with conflicting feelings about Target's decision to pull back its Pride merchandise. "It's 50-50," he said. "I hate it, but I kind of understand it."
Some companies have moved forward with their plans for Pride Month despite the high-profile incidents. Nike, North Face and PetSmart have so far ignored the backlash targeted at them. Kohl's and Walmart have also gotten heat from far right fringe activists, who have called for boycotts over the stores' LGBTQ+ merchandise, but have not given in.
Vocal extremists that companies rebuff or ignore generally move on in search of others to victimize, while businesses and organizations that react, either aggressively or cautiously, position themselves as easier targets, Schubiner said. More than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills - though most will not pass - have been introduced in states across the country so far this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign. At least 29 bills targeting transgender rights have become law in 14 states so far this year, according to The Post's analysis of data from the American Civil Liberties Union.
Hostility toward the LGBTQ+ community and businesses that support it has accelerated so rapidly, corporate security experts say, that it's difficult for businesses to keep pace with evolving threats.
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