Target pulled part of its Pride Month clothing line due to protests and workers who say it is “impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work.”
“Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior,” Target said in a statement on Tuesday.
One item from the collection released this month was a “tuck-friendly” swimsuit for transgender women, falsely claimed to be a swimsuit for children on social media. Other pieces include rainbow-colored infant onesies, as well as shirts that read “Trans people will always exist!”
The backlash from conservatives on social media over the new Pride collection has also sparked criticism from LGBTQ supporters enraged over the company’s quick cave to right-wing protests.
Target's market value has plummeted since the start of the boycotts.
According to Mayra Flores, it has dropped by $9 billion.
"The people have spoken," she tweeted this week.
Target CEO Brian Cornell said the company’s strategy is to appeal to a diversified customer base, shrugging off concerns about “woke” capitalism on Fortune’s “Leadership Next” podcast last week.
“I think those are just good business decisions, and it’s the right thing for society, and it’s the great thing for our brand,” Cornell said.
This is not the first time conservatives have attempted to boycott the popular retail company. In 2016, the conservative American Family Association called for a boycott after Target allowed employees to use restrooms based on gender identity rather than biological sex.
In response to Target’s store removals, conservative activist Candace Owens wrote on Twitter yesterday that it is “worthy” for the company to be boycotted “out of existence.”
“Target has been an openly perverted company for a long time,” Owens said.