Michael Berry, conservative radio talk show host and former Houston City Council member called on his supporters to purchase his latest piece of merchandise, the “this is my pride flag” T-shirt, featuring an American flag instead of the rainbow flag – the symbol of the LGBTQ+ community.
The shirt was made available at the start of June’s Pride Month, dedicated to the celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Typically, LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations hold parades and other events, and companies will offer items that are a part of Pride collection to show their support.
This is not Berry’s first move in publicly opposing this community, as he often takes a staunch position against LGBTQ+ people across social media platforms.
Berry has tweeted his stance on gender-affirming care – which has been widely debated at the state level – calling it gender “changing” care and “experimental,” referring to doctors performing it as “butchers.”
He has also advised parents to be wary of their children’s schools if they feature drag queen story hours, another topic at the center of legislation across the country.
Apparel has been at the forefront of Pride Month, as Target, the retail corporation, announced the removal of about 2,350 products from their Pride sections after the company and employees were facing threats from far-right activists, media outlets and politicians.
The company did not specify the details of these events or which locations they occurred at; however, videos circulated online displaying Pride signs knocked down and individuals confronting employees while on the job.
Those in opposition of the collection also incorrectly stated that a women’s bathing suit that had a tag advertising it was “tuck-friendly” – could be conducive for any body part – was a part of the children’s Pride collection.
Target has featured Pride collections in their inventory each June for the last decade and faced some criticism, but according to the company none ever to this degree.
Target released a statement in response to the incidents:
For more than a decade, Target offered an assortment of products aimed at celebrating Pride Month. Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior. Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year.
Target is not the only company to face backlash for its public support of the LGBTQ+ community, Disney, North Face, Adidas, Starbucks and more recently Bud Light all have faced similar scrutiny.
Several LGBTQ+ advocates want workers to be protected but think there should be more of an offensive taken by many of these companies and corporations who instead chose to back down by pulling products or advertisements.
Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign released the following statement:
Target should not be responding so easily to criticism and threats from the likes of the Proud Boys. Target should put the products back on the shelves and ensure their Pride displays are visible on the floors, not pushed into the proverbial closet. That’s what the bullies want. Target must be better.
Extremist groups and individuals work to divide us and ultimately don’t just want rainbow products to disappear, they want us to disappear. For the past decade, the LGBTQ+ community has celebrated Pride with Target—it’s time that Target stands with us and doubles-down on their commitment to us. Going into Pride Month – a protest for our fundamental rights and a celebration of visibility and queer joy – businesses play a bigger role than they ever have before in advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation. The LGBTQ+ community has been experiencing our worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation – over 520 bills that aim to strip us of our very existence, dignity and history, from the doctor’s office to the classroom to the sports field.
Businesses that are silent or are retreating at a time when anti-LGBTQ+ hatred, from statehouses to social media platforms, is at an all time high are abdicating their responsibility to stand by their values of diversity, equity and inclusion. We’ve seen it again and again: businesses that stand up for the values they espouse send a powerful message to their employees, shareholders and customers that equality is not up for debate. Every time businesses stand up and speak out for LGBTQ+ equality, they come out on top, regardless of baseless, anti-business attacks.
Earlier this week, The Human Rights Campaign declared a “state of emergency” for LGBTQ+ people in the country due to the spike in legislation targeting the community. They released a downloadable guidebook that included health and safety resources, a summary of state laws and resources to support those traveling or living in the states where these measures are becoming law.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
