The recent removal of Target’s Pride-themed clothing and other merchandise amid backlash from customers has apparently revealed the issues inherent in what is known as “rainbow capitalism,” according to Scottish clothing designer Erik Carnell, whose products were removed from Target stores.
Target has recently received heavy pushback, resulting in a reported increase in customer-employee confrontations, with Pride merchandise being thrown on the ground. Carnell, who claims to be a “gay trans man,” which presumably means that Carnell is a straight woman who takes testosterone and is sexually attracted to gay men, is just one of the designers whose products have been taken off the shelves, per Reuters.
Carnell’s designs have featured Satanist and trans imagery overlayed with soft, pastel colors that might appeal to a young audience. Her products have included shirts, hoodies, stickers, and pins—many of which depict Satanic imagery, though not all of which were sold at Target. Carnell has expressed that companies such as Target are willing to use LGBTQ people and their causes, such as Pride Month, but do not stand up for them when challenges arise, per the report.
“It’s a very dangerous precedent to set, that if people just get riled up enough about the products that you’re selling, you can completely distance yourself from the LGBT community, when and if it’s convenient,” Carnell said.
“If you’re going to take a stance and say that you care about the LGBT community, you need to stand by that regardless.”
Target is not the only company to have received backlash for its promotion of leftist ideology in recent months. Bud Light and Nike also caught heat after endorsing trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, with the beer company suffering financially as a result.
