Target Blocks Group's Emails Complaining of Gay Pride Shirts
Giant retailer Target has blocked emails from the conservative American Family Association after its supporters began urging the company to pull its promotion of homosexuality.
"I hope you will not let Target silence your voice. I encourage you to call their corporate office and share your personal thoughts," the family group told supporters.
Target has partnered with Family Equality Council and is currently supporting the LGBT group with 100 percent of the proceeds it receives through its collection of gay pride T-shirts (up to a maximum donation of $120,000).
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Designed by musician Gwen Stefani, the shirts feature messages such as "Harmony," "Pride," and "Love Is Love," along with a rainbow. The shirts are on sale throughout the month of June in conjunction with LGBT Pride Month. Already, half of the 10 shirts featured online are out of stock.
When Target began selling the pro-gay shirts late May, the American Family Association sent out an alert to supporters, asking them to let Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel "know that a majority of Americans oppose same-sex marriage and are able to use their pocketbooks to voice their opposition to companies that support it."
In a recent update, AFA stated, "Target is blocking emails from the AFA Action Alert system." The family group is asking supporters to contact the retailer through other means.
Steinhafel says that diversity is a "core value" at the retailer and that Target fosters "an inclusive culture."
Family Equality Council is now among a dozen groups that Target partners with.
The promotion of an LGBT group comes just a year after the Minneapolis-based Target had announced it would take a neutral stance on Minnesota's upcoming marriage amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman.
At the time, the retailer was facing protests from gay activists over a $150,000 donation to a Republican candidate for governor who supported a marriage amendment.
Traditional marriage supporters are not happy with Target's new partnership with a pro-gay marriage group.
Minnesota for Marriage campaign manager Frank Schubert called Target's "pride" shirts a "slap in the face to people of faith and supporters of marriage," according to The Associated Press.
