Target cuts LGBTQ underwear brand after protests

Target cuts LGBTQ-friendly underwear brand

What you probably already know: Two years after embracing TomboyX, an underwear brand that serves diverse people including plus size, trans, gay, disabled and other marginalized groups, Target last week reportedly stopped distributing the company’s products. The decision comes after the stores were allegedly targeted by protesters, according to TomboyX founder Fran Dunaway. “Target has chosen silent complicity over wielding their power for change,” she said in a LinkedIn post.

Why? Target has not yet responded to a request for comment, but the culture wars are ramping up ahead of the 2024 presidential election, and many on the far right are putting the trans community in the spotlight. Targeting big brands is a good way to get maximum attention and activate voters.

What it means: While some companies, including Anheuser-Busch and now Target, have caved to the pressure, others have pushed back. Planet Fitness canceled a woman’s membership after she took photos of a trans person in the locker room. Meanwhile, Target recently posted its plans to support the annual June Pride festivals, something that will almost certainly draw ire from the LGBTQ community for “rainbow washing.”

What happens now? Expect to see more of these kinds of controversies emerge. Company leaders, including boards that focus on risk management, should plan for a response to this kind of criticism, and determine what actions the company will or will not take should it, its vendors, partners or employees be pulled into this culture war.