There’ve been times in this almost two-year wave of Pride pushback when Americans have to pinch themselves to believe their success. After building the LGBT bandwagon that other companies hopped on, one of the country’s most unrepentant extremists — Target — finally surrendered on its woke agenda, handing an army of consumer activists one of the most symbolic scalps yet.
For Robby Starbuck, this was no ordinary conquest. People had been taking aim at Target’s iconic bullseye as far back as 2014, when the retailer became the corporate champion of same-sex marriage. Their support led to a chain reaction, providing cover for other major brands to wade into this brave new world of sexual radicalism.
Under the leadership of leftist CEO Brian Cornell, they were one of the first businesses to sign onto legal briefs arguing for the redefinition of marriage, one of the first to open women’s restrooms and fitting rooms to biological men, and — in a move that few shoppers forgave — one of the first to sell chest-binders, packing underwear, and “tuck-friendly swimwear” to confused, trans-identifying kids.
But now, outside of Bud Light, no company has taken a harder hit. From conservative superstars like Allie Beth Stuckey to Senate leaders like Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the rallying cry seemed almost unanimous: punish Target. And Americans did, leading to a catastrophic dip in stock prices that continues to this day.
Now, more than a decade into this social experiment, headquarters is throwing in the towel. Joining titans like Walmart, McDonalds, Tractor Supply, John Deere, Harley Davidson, Polaris, Indian Motorcycle, Lowe’s, Ford, Coors, Black & Decker, Jack Daniels, DeWalt tools, Craftsman, Caterpillar, Boeing, Toyota, and Nissan, the retailer hopes that relenting on some of its most offensive campaigns will put it back in Americans’ good graces.
Among the major shifts:
Target will no longer participate in the woke Corporate Equality Index or any other DEI index. Target will not market Pride merchandise to kids going forward. No sponsoring events that sexualize kids! Target will end their 3 year DEI goals. Target employee resource groups will be expected to focus on the core business, mentorship and growth, not wokeness.”
In Minnesota, jaws are already dropping that Target has declined to have a role in the Twin Cities Pride Festival for 2025. “In a post on social media, Twin Cities Pride said they are ‘deeply disappointed in their announcement.’
For a business with almost a half-million employees and a market cap of just about $65 billion, these are surprisingly sweeping modifications.
For now, Americans should take a minute to stop, admire the power of this movement they’ve built, and pat themselves on the back. No one should be tired of winning.