Like Bud Light and the Los Angeles Dodgers before them, Target is the latest brand to capitulate to the right-wing's fury over the existence of LGBTQ+ people.
The retailer announced it would be moving its Pride collection to the back of the store and removing some Pride-related products following conservative outrage.
But unlike Bud Light and the Dodgers—who at least had the backbone to renege on its caving to the right-wing. Target had a somewhat understandable reason for backing down—right-wing bigots have been harassing Target employees over the Pride collection.
And Whoopi Goldberg, for one, has had it. During a recent episode of The View, Goldberg unloaded on the homophobic, transphobic conservatives causing the uproar and railed against what she called "conservative cancel culture."
See her statement below.
Speaking for many—probably most—of us, Goldberg said:
“I am sick of people moving my desires because their desires are not being met in some way."
The comment was in reference to Target's decision to essentially hide its Pride collection in its stores following conservative attacks over a patently false rumor that the store is carrying swimsuits for children that are "tuck-friendly"—that provide a means of concealing male genitalia.
There is no truth to the rumor—the "tuck-friendly" swimsuits are for adults only. But of course conservative ideologues and belligerent far-right agitators never met a fact they couldn't simply ignore, so the uproar has continued.
Goldberg went on to lay into these supposedly freedom-obsessed "snowflakes'" incessant attempts to curtail everyone else's freedom.
"I am sick of people telling me I can’t go to a drag show. I’m sick of people telling me that my friends are different because you don’t understand them. I’m sick of it."
"This is America. You’re supposed to be able to be whoever you are. You know? Stop with all this stuff. You want to talk about snowflakes? Who are the snowflakes, really?"
She then put a finer point on how absolutely absurd all this right-wing bravado about LGBTQ+ people really is.
“They’re people scared of a flag, people who are scared of a drag brunch. It’s a brunch!”
Many online were right there with Goldberg's take on right-wing bigots and applauded her for speaking out.
In a statement, Target said they were making the changes because "we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work" and that some of the Pride items had inspired "significant confrontational behavior."
Now that Target has confirmed in-person threats and harassment are effective, expect more instances of conservative public misbehavior.
@annewheaton/Threads
@richardadlof/Threads
@mikeisaphreek/Threads
@daisymouze/Threads