Target's surrender to MAGA rage shows how anti-wokeness really works

[Celerity]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/25/target-pulls-lgbtq-clothing-right-wing-maga/

https://archive.is/aUCW4



It is sometimes said that corporate America is a battleground in the culture wars. This has taken on ugly new meaning in the case of Target, which just announced that it will pull some LBGTQ-friendly merchandise from shelves after experiencing threats that affected its employees’ “sense of safety.”

Target’s surrender — which came after concerted attacks from MAGA media personalities — points to a bigger story: The anti-woke right is increasingly wielding heavy-handed tactics — including state power and violent threats — to block corporations from making their own decisions about how to adapt to social change. Though the right is losing this battle at large, it is innovating and having some success.

It’s unclear which items Target will pull. But right-wing figures had claimed Target was selling “tuck-friendly” swimwear — as part of its pride month collection — to kids. As the Daily Beast reports, those figures labeled Target CEO Brian Cornell a “pervert groomer” and even called for Republican attorneys general to investigate him. One Arizona man threatened disruptions at Target stores, warning that LGBTQ people are “not safe.”

The right’s claim appears to be false. As the Associated Press reports, Target sold this swimwear — which allows trans women without gender-affirming operations to conceal genitalia — only to adults. But Target backed down, admitting that the threats were in response to the pride collection and explicitly promising to remove items that triggered “confrontational behavior.”

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[Initech]

1. A few MAGAs throw temper tantrums and Target caves.

The Qarens are the type who would scream at their parents to buy them a shiny new toy, and then they cave in and do. It's insanity.

The even sadder thing is that these dipshits will say that we're somehow the crazy ones because of this, and they'll believe it. We're not the ones who are going and harassing clerks and trying on merchandise to be super creepy and weird about it while livestreaming it on the internet.

[MontanaMama]

2. Yeah...I'm really disappointed in Target.

Just when I think we're making progress, we aren't.

[jmowreader]

3. Cthulhu Almighty...

If they remove all the items that “trigger confrontational behavior” they’re gonna have to get rid of half the store.

The beer department? Half the beer they sell is from woke beer companies. Get rid of all that beer, and get rid of the rest of the beer just in case one of those brands goes woke.

The pantyhose department? Perverts might buy this. Get rid of it.

The bra department? I saw a guy on Ru Paul’s Drag Race wearing one of these. Get rid of all of them.

The movie department? Obviously you’ve got to take all the movies but the God’s Not Dead Series off the shelves.

The laundry detergent aisle? This stuff comes in woke fragrances. If it doesn’t smell like parts cleaner, get rid of it. Every man should proudly smell like he works as an auto mechanic.

And it goes on and on and on.

Wouldn’t it be better to put a sign on the door that says something like “some everyday products sold in this store may offend you. We will not stop selling these items.”

[LeftinOH]

4. In the end, it's front-line retail workers who bear the brunt of

confrontational or even violent blowback from the public. Having worked in big box retail, there is an ever-present uneasy feeling that at any moment customers can *and sometimes do* beat the shit out of you ...because of an item being out of stock; because of a perceived 'overcharge'; because of some random store policy, etc.

And my experience in big box retail was before this culture-war-of the-month nonsense started. Remember all those video clips of people throwing a screeching fit about having to wear masks while grocery shopping?