Target is not the only superstore that puts up a display for Pride, but the annual Target Pride section has sparked a conversation for years now. Does the Oregon State University community believe the superstore really values allyship or are they aiming for a money-grab by targeting the queer community?
Every year, the superstore Target puts on a huge display of pride based clothes, swimsuits, accessories and more. Some people really enjoy it and love to purchase the products but others see it as fake allyship and have criticized the nationwide chain for it.
Some students believe that they put the section up for attention, and just to draw more customers in.
“I believe that Target knows that releasing a pride collection each year is gonna draw people both for and against the pride collection,” said Owyn Holt, a second-year at OSU. “Those in favor will shop at Target, and those against it will air their grievances online, where more people in favor will see it, and therefore shop at Target.”
Holt also mentioned that he doesn’t feel like people actually wear the clothing Target provides in this section, but that some of the clothes may represent the feelings of the community.
Brynne Boehlecke, also a second-year student at OSU, had a similar opinion.
“The products that just plaster a rainbow or the word “lesbian” on a t-shirt, most queer people simply wouldn’t wear those out and about,” Boehlecke said.
While the annual section may spark a lot of debate and controversy, it may not be likely that many people actually purchase from the section for the purpose of wearing the clothes and accessories.
“I don’t think the point of the target pride section is to make things that people would like to wear on a daily basis, it’s just supposed to be fun to wear things with rainbows just to see if people notice I guess,” said Taryn Loucks, a second-year student at OSU.
There have also been conversations surrounding that if Target did want to show support towards the community, they would do more than just put up the pride section.
“If Target actually gave a shit about the LGBTQ community they would donate money to foundations that actually supported the community,” said Mckenzie Blixt, a second-year at OSU. “Instead they are using the community’s symbols and ‘style’ to turn a profit. Do I think it’s fun and cute sometimes? Yes. Do I think it’s shitty? Also yes.”
In June – pride month – of 2023 people took to the media to discuss their disapproval for the pride section and even showed videos of themselves tearing it down. Target eventually took displays down in many stores around the country. An act that some, including San Francisco Chronicle opinion writer Soleil Ho, thought was the company not standing up for their employees or community as a whole.
Many people agreed with Ho in the sentiment that this just proved that Target does not actually care to be allies and that it’s just an empty gesture.
“I think the motive at the core of Target’s pride collections is definitely profit,” Boehelecke said. “We know it’s not allyship because as soon as they encounter resistance, like we saw last year with people wrecking the displays, they pull the products without a word.”
However, the impact of such a large corporation including a pride section is not insignificant.
“The importance of having such a major corporation, one that most Americans are at least familiar with, sell products that say “Protect Trans Kids” — that can’t be ignored, even if it is pinkwashing at its core,” Boehleck said.
