The Internet Has Some Strong Words For Target’s “Embarrassing” Pride Collection
After cutting back on diversity initiatives, Target is facing sharp criticism for its Pride rollout.
Pride Month is nearly here, and so is Target’s new Pride collection. Kind of.
After last year’s controversy, many in the LGBTQ+ community were watching to see if the retail giant would try to make things right. You might recall that in 2023, Target pulled Pride merchandise from some stores following pressure from conservative groups who were suddenly very passionate about mannequin modesty and rainbow coffee mugs. It was a demoralizing move that made the company’s public support for LGBTQ+ people feel more like branding than belief.
Related: Walmart Rolls Back DEI Policies Amid Conservative Pressure
Then came 2024, when Target decided to only stock Pride gear in about half of its U.S. locations. This year, they’re technically back—but with a whimper, not a bang. Much of the new collection is…beige.
Yes, beige. Beige tote bags. Beige sandals. Even beige dishes. There are a few rainbows hidden here and there, if you squint. But for the most part, the designs feel like they were created by someone who Googled “gay” and then immediately got nervous.
Adding to the sense that this year’s Pride collection was an afterthought, shoppers have spotted multiple items in stores with tags that still include placeholder text—specifically, “lorem ipsum,” the scrambled Latin commonly used in design as filler before real content is written. It’s the retail equivalent of turning in a term paper with [insert title here] as the headline. It doesn’t exactly scream “thoughtful celebration of queer identity.”
Behind the snark is a growing sense that corporate support for Pride is no longer about actual LGBTQ+ people, but about avoiding bad headlines. Target was among the several big retailers to roll back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives after Donald Trump returned to office. In January, the company announced it would be restructuring its DEI team and shifting focus away from some of its previous inclusion efforts. The move followed months of political pressure and public scrutiny, and it came alongside a decline in sales and store traffic. For many, this context has shaped how they view the 2025 Pride collection—as a safe play meant to appear inclusive without upsetting anyone who might complain.
Related: Salt Lake City And Boise Adopt Official Pride Flags In Defiance Of Attempted Erasure
The online response has been swift, sharp, and occasionally savage.
Here’s what people are saying:
The collection lands at a time when many consumers are watching how companies engage with Pride beyond the surface. And reactions so far suggest that people are paying as much attention to intent as they are to the products themselves.
