Minnesota-based retail giant Target recently has caused several storms in the LGBT community, according to the Huffington Post. The first controversy occurred in 2011 when Lady Gaga decided to put an end to a deal with the retailer for selling an exclusive edition of her “Born This Way” album after it was discovered Target donated $150,000 to MN Forward, a group that was backing Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmers. Emmers is known for his conservatism and his stance against gay marriage and equal rights for LGBT citizens.
In an effort to show they are not a homophobic company, Target started selling Gay Pride T-shirts that were only available online and not in their stores. Some LGBT advocates viewed this as a “half-hearted attempt at erasing past offenses” even though Target donated a portion of the profits to the LGBT advocacy group Family Equality Council.
The latest hurricane happened last week when Target chose not to sell R & B singer Frank Ocean’s critically acclaimed album “Channel Orange.” Many speculate it is because Ocean’s revelation he is a gay man but the company is saying its decision is based on a reaction to i-Tunes’ one-week exclusive sale of the album.
Now the retail chain is once again trying to reach out to the LGBT community and this time selling the actual product in their stores. A line of same-sex marriage greeting cards , produced by Carlton Cards, hit the shelves in June (the same time the shirts were sold online) and display phrases such as “Mr. and Mr.” and “Two very special women, one very special love.”
Spokeswoman Molly Snyder told the Minneapolis-Star Tribune that “Target is focused on diversity and inclusivity.”
What do you think? Is Target trying to make it right or are they covering something up? Let us know in the comments section below.
