Pride Month merchandise is displayed at a Target store on May 31, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Target has pulled some of its Pride Month merchandise from stores or have moved the seasonal displays to lesser seen areas of their stores to avoid conservative backlash that has threatened workers’ safety.
At least five states sent bomb threats to Target stores over the weekend as the retail giant continues to deal with outrage over the issue involving LGBTQ Pride products. It has been stated that one of the threats claims Target "betrayed the LGBTQ+ community."
The Washington Post claimed that Oklahoma, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Louisiana Target locations received threats, but no explosives were actually found. Similar threats were made to stores in Ohio, Utah, and Pennsylvania.
Target has prioritized staff safety after receiving complaints about planned controversial Pride displays at most outlets.
Pride products, like female-style swimsuits that can be used to "tuck" male genitalia, were originally bothersome to conservatives since they were placed publicly at the storefront Members of the LGBTQ community felt betrayed when Target diminished the display and removed several items allegedly due to safety concerns.
Alarming Emails of Bomb Threats
The Washington Post quoted South Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke stating that an aggressive email accusing Target of betraying the LGBTQ+ community was sent to news outlets in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.
According to CBS affiliate KLFY, the threatening email reportedly said: "You have betrayed the LGBTQ+ community. You are pathetic cowards who bowed to the wishes of far right extremists who want to exterminate us. We will not tolerate intolerance nor indifference. If you are not with us then you are against us. That is why we placed a bomb in each of your locations, evacuate now as this is only to cause economic damage."
KFOR, the Oklahoma City station for NBC, said that it had received a threatening email on Saturday, June 10.
The email stated, "We are going to play a game," and included the locations of many different Target stores. "[Two] of these Target locations have bomb in them. We hid bombs inside some product items. The bombs will detonate in several hours, guess which ones have the bombs."
The date April 19, 1995, was also written in the email, which was the date of the horrific domestic terrorist incident in Oklahoma City.
There were no bombs discovered. Thus the retail establishments were considered safe.
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Target Employees Amid the Pride Merch Issue
A member of Target's workforce told Fox News earlier this month that it is distressing to see employees on both sides of the Pride issue defending the retail giant against irate consumers.
The majority of workers were reportedly kept in the dark about the upcoming shifts within the stores. Many of them did not even realize the Pride areas were going to be relocated and goods to be removed until they saw it for themselves.
An insider said, "The decisions are made high above us and staffers have no say."
After substantial consumer criticism, a Target source previously told Fox News that company executives wanted to prevent a "Bud Light situation" and scale back Pride merchandise.
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