Twin Cities Pride, the non-profit that organizes an annual Pride festival in Minneapolis, Minnesota, announced that it had raised more than $50,000 after publicly dropping Target as a corporate sponsor.
The group said it had removed Target as a sponsor of the festival after the company dropped some of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies on 24 January: Target said it would stop its anti-discrimination efforts, including participation in external surveys, such as one run by the Human Rights Campaign, which tracks LGBTQ+ inclusive corporate policies such as spousal and domestic partner benefits and outreach to communities. The company also said it would end a program that helped it carry more products from Black- and minority-owned businesses, among other changes.
Twin Cities Pride thanked supporters on Instagram, saying in a post that donations would help fund initiatives like Rainbow Wardrobe, which provides a space for people to try on clothing that fits with their gender identity, and its artist-in-residence program.
“Every dollar donated goes directly back into helping us create inclusive spaces, support local artists and provide resources that make a difference year-round,” the organization said. “Thank you for standing with us.”
Days earlier, Twin Cities Pride had said that organizers were “deeply disappointed in [Target’s] announcement” and that the company would not have a presence at this year’s festival or parade. Target, which is based in Minneapolis, has been a sponsor of the Pride parade for 18 years.
While the organization knew that dropping Target as a sponsor would affect its finances, “what is more important is that we send the message that companies need to do the right thing”, Andi Otto, executive director of Twin Cities Pride, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
In a memo to employees on Friday, Target said that it was transitioning into the “next chapter of our strategy”.
“As a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future,” the memo said. Target did not respond to a request for comment.
Though Target joined a growing list of companies that said they were dropping their DEI policies, including Meta, Walmart, Amazon and McDonald’s, the company’s announcement has garnered backlash online that other companies have not received.
A smaller handful have defended and stood by their DEI policies, including Costco and Apple.
Companies are announcing the end to DEI programs at a time when the White House has taken an aggressive stance toward ending what the administration considers “reverse racism”. Donald Trump signed two executive orders that end all DEI efforts in the federal government, and legal experts believe the White House could try to target the private sector. Trump has also received widespread criticism for a new policy that would ban transgender people from serving in the military.
This isn’t the first time Target has been the center of online backlash. The company saw a brief drop in sales after conservatives vowed to boycott the company over its Pride merchandise in 2023. The next year, the company ended up scaling back on its Pride collection.
