A Wisconsin woman is calling out Target for promoting Satan in the retailer’s LGBT pride product line.
The allegations come as Target, the nation’s sixth-largest brick-and-mortar retailer, already faces backlash over “tuck-friendly” swimwear for children and adults. The swimwear, designed for biological males to “tuck” their genitals so they can identify as female, includes sizes for children.
Now, say critics, Target continues to step in even more cultural doo-doo.
Scarlett Johnson recently went viral on Twitter with a thread explaining why she is “done” with the retailer. In particular, Johnson took issue with Target listing three items on its online store from Abprallen, a London-based designer of products that sometimes mix imagery and messages about gender with the macabre.
@Target has some explaining to do😳 https://t.co/sPEGrMOhiG
— Scarlett Johnson (@scarlett4kids) May 22, 2023
None of the three colorful apparel items for sale under the Abprallen label on Target’s website has satanic imagery. The catalog includes a “We Belong Everywhere” mini-messenger bag for $18; a “Too Queer for Here” tote bag for $18; and a “Cure Transphobia, Not Trans People” sweatshirt for $25. All are listed under “Pride Adult Clothing.” Other slogans say that Satan offers “hope” and “love.”
However, Johnson highlighted other products for sale that are shown on the Abprallen website and associated Instagram account with about 25,000 followers. Among them is a skeleton draped in rainbow colors; a “Trans Witches For Abortion” badge; and a “Satan respects pronouns” T-shirt. Johnson’s thread has been retweeted thousands of times since it began, with many users criticizing Target and some even calling for a boycott. Others complimented the products and questioned why Johnson had a problem with the designer’s work.
The product page for the “Satan respects pronouns” shirt talks about how LGBT+ people are “so often referred to as being a product of satan or going against God’s will” while making the case that the Church of Satan and The Satanic Temple are more accepting of the gay community.
“Satanists don’t actually believe in satan; he is merely used as a symbol of passion, pride and liberty,” the page says. “He means to you what you need him to mean. So for me, Satan is hope, compassion, equality and love. So naturally, satan respects pronouns. He loves all LGBT+ people.”
Target’s recent actions are leading some to suggest the retailer will face a wave of backlash similar to the Bud Light controversy over its partnership with self-identified transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Target this week pulled some of the clothing, alleging without proof that its employees had been threatened.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
