Megyn Kelly launched a scathing attack on Target over its “tuck-friendly” swimsuits, as the retail giant faces controversy over its LGBTQ+ Pride Month range.
In a clip that as of 4:20 a.m. ET on Thursday had more than 45,000 views, the presenter decried the transgender bathing suits as something “no woman needs because we don’t have penises down south.”
Target has been the subject of backlash and calls for a boycott after it emerged that the retailer’s LGBTQ+ range included childrenswear and clothing with slogans positive towards transgenderism.
While some argued that it was contributing to the indoctrination of children, others said the range is positive for young LGBTQ+ individuals and allows them to express themselves through clothing.
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Several brands have been the target of condemnation from conservatives over marketing products for the LGBTQ+ community. While experts have said such campaigns provide an opportunity for brands to appeal to consumers in new markets, critics have accused companies of alienating their traditional customer base.
The controversies sit at the heart of a culture war, and feed into a broader debate about the acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in public life.
On Tuesday, Target spokesperson Kayla Castaneda told Newsweek the retailer would be removing items due to “threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and wellbeing while at work.”
She said those items would be the ones “at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior” from customers, adding: “Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year.”
Target will review a line of swimsuits marketed for its ability to “tuck” genitalia for transgender women, as well as some children’s merchandise, following the threats to staff, Reuters reported.
“If you look at the individual Targets across America, they’re feeling the wrath of the consumer,” Kelly commented on her show on Wednesday.
“They decided to willingly partner with this clothing manufacturer to make Pride month gear that includes bathing suits that are ‘tuck-friendly,’ that have extra material around the crotch—which no woman needs because we don’t have penises down south,” the commentator said.
Many medical experts have drawn a distinction between gender identity and biological sex, and note that some women can have penises—specifically in cases of someone being born with mixed genitalia.
“We don’t need extra material and we don’t need ‘tuck-friendly,’ but the Target CEO is out there defending this,” Kelly added.
Prior to the company removing some of the Pride range, Target CEO Brian Cornell had described embracing diversity as a leading to “good business decisions” that would drive up sales.
“When we think about purpose at Target, it’s really about helping all the families, and that ‘all’ word is really important,” Cornell said on Fortune‘s Leadership Next podcast. “So we want to do the right thing to support families across the country. And when it’s true to our purpose and true to our culture, we lean in to support families across the country.”
Kelly O’Keefe, a leading brand strategist, praised the retail giant for being “very forward-thinking” in embracing “accepting and welcoming” attitudes.
He told Newsweek: “Whatever that message is that you’re sending to people about your values, you need to make sure that these are deeply-held convictions of the organization that you’re willing to stick with and even fight for.” Otherwise, “that wasn’t a conviction to begin with, it was just a marketing shill.”
Kelly also noted one of the lines in the Pride range some had taken issue with was by a company that has used satanic imagery in products it hasn’t supplied to Target. Kelly accused Abprallen of being “some sort of pro-Satan line of clothing,” a claim the company’s owner has denied.
Newsweek approached Target via email for comment on Thursday.
While many on social media appeared to agree with Kelly, many others defended the retailer for its Pride range.
“Holy hell, Megyn, are your kids so fragile that they’re going to fall apart at the sight of a garment label?” one Twitter user wrote. “If so, you have bigger problems than shopping at Target!”
“Who cares?” another tweeted. “Target isn’t forcing anyone to tuck, just providing an option for anyone who wants to wear it that way.”