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“Go woke, go broke” is perhaps becoming an overused expression, but more and more incidents prove it’s simply true.

The latest proof is American retail giant Target, which lost billions of dollars following recent backlash over the store selling pride-themed merchandise – but it’s more than just T-shirts with pretty rainbows on them.

Target’s new Pride Month collection offers female swimsuits that are “tuck-friendly” and with “extra crotch coverage”; rainbow-themed clothing for newborns; and products by an independent designer who sells items using satanic and occult imagery to promote LGBT messaging.

Target shares dropped to $130.93 as of May 31, making it the company’s ninth consecutive decline and its longest losing streak since November 2018. On the same day, Target’s market value dropped over US$13 billion to $60.4 billion, which was over $74 billion earlier in May. 

Ironically, just days before Target was hit by a boycott initiated by American conservatives, CEO Brian Cornell said that DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) initiatives “add value” to the company.

“I think those are just good business decisions, and it’s the right thing for society, and it’s a great thing for our brand.”

“It’s helping us drive sales, it’s building greater engagement with both our teams and our guests…”

… Until it didn’t.

As evidenced by other corporations that hop on the LGBT bandwagon – including Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch, which lost almost US$16 billion in market value after announcing a partnership last month with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney – looking through rainbow-coloured glasses is not the money-making machine they had hoped for. 

Powerful Pushback

The independent designer that Target partnered with – a self-identified transgender man, known as Erik, who owns a web store named Abprallen – sells designs that read “Satan Respects Pronouns”, among other text and imagery too disturbing to describe.

While Target did not sell the diabolical products, Erik designed bags for the Pride Month collection with the text “We belong everywhere” and “Too queer for here”. Target also sells clothing with the slogans “Live, laugh, lesbian” and “Homophobia, transphobia can be cured with education”, as well as books that teach children about non-binary gender and how to properly use preferred pronouns.

The good news is, Target actually removed some of these items from the shelves – including the Abprallen products – and in some stores, the pride-themed displays were moved from the front of the store to the back.

And for the cherry on top, a new single by a pro-Trump rap group titled ‘Boycott Target’ has climbed the iTunes chart, taking the number 1 spot on May 29. 

Forgiato Blow, Jimmy Levy, Nick Nittoli and Stoney Dudebro used the cultural influence of hip hop to bring awareness to Target selling sexualised products for adults and babies alike.

The opening line goes, “Attention all shoppers, there’s a cleanup on every aisle, Target is targeting your kids; this agenda’s gotta stop, they know we gonna win.”

Hitting the Target

The woke mob believes the boycott is another attempt by angry conservatives to attack democracy and LGBT rights, but what seems incomprehensible to them is that some shoppers just want to go to Target to, well, shop. 

Isn’t there enough politics anywhere else?

Stores should sell things, not propaganda. And last time I checked, newborn babies couldn’t care less about promoting the rainbow agenda on their onesie.

A separate LGBT-friendly brand can sell all the tuck-friendly swimsuits it wants, but to offer these niche, propaganda-pushing products in one of the biggest retail companies in the world – which sees customers of all political, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds – is close to a crime.

Target might have all its DEI dreams, but the buying power remains with the people. Only time (and money) will tell how other corporations will fare this Pride Month.

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Photo: Screenshot of Mayor Of Magaville.