Target swaps out rainbow flags for Stars and Stripes as shoppers notice shift during Pride Month

June is Pride Month, and Target has found itself — once again — at the center of controversy over its approach to promoting the honorary month celebrating LGBTQ people.

Target officials have reportedly acknowledged that their approach to Pride Month this year would be scaled back, compared to previous years, and shoppers have taken notice. The response has been a mixed bag of positive feedback and disappointment, particularly since shoppers have noticed that instead of LGBTQ merchandise, Target is prioritizing pro-America merchandise, selling it alongside big in-store displays promoting the items. 

“Happy Pride Month in my Target that used to have a PRIDE section — it’s now all U.S.A. Yay!” said a sarcastic Target shopper in a now-viral video of them complaining about the retailer’s lack of pride apparel and abundance of USA-themed items. “Target is really taking this anti-DEI thing to another level.”

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“I’m at Target — there is no PRIDE section at my Target,” another Target shopper said in a video being circulated online. “You would think they would learn something. Not even a section, not even one PRIDE shirt. That’s embarrassing, Target. Do better.”

A senior Target official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, confirmed this week to CNN that the retailer would be displaying LGBTQ-themed merchandise less prominently during this year’s Pride Month than in past years. 

In January, shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the public and private sectors, Target announced that it would be joining a cohort of other major retailers, such as Walmart, that have taken steps to rescind some of its DEI policies.

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“If there is anything indicating a cultural shift in our country, I think it’s the fact that Target’s PRIDE collection is now this small, while 4th of July Independence Day is being celebrated galore,” conservative Turning Point USA influencer Morgonn McMichael said in a video showing her local Target store’s set up for the month of June. 

McMichael showed how the USA, “family”-themed products were placed prominently in the front of the store, while the LGBT section was much more muted and not placed prominently in the store. 

While Target’s move away from DEI has been met with praise by some, it has created backlash from others, including calls for nationwide boycotts. The retailer has subsequently seen a decline in revenue during the first quarter of this fiscal year, leading some to speculate that the pushback has played a big part — in addition to tariffs.

However, a report from USA Today published this week, citing an Israeli tech firm that analyzed thousands of posts on social media, suggested that a large portion of the anger facing Target has been manufactured. 

The tech firm Cyabra assessed that from Jan. 1 to April 21, as shoppers complained about Target’s DEI pull back, 27% of the social media accounts complaining about the retailer’s DEI shift were fake, noting they “contributed significantly to the viral backlash,” USA Today reported.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Target repeatedly for comment, and to glean more details about its approach to Pride Month this year, but did not receive a response by time of publication.

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