Walmart Under Fire for LGBTQ+ Merchandise After Target Retreats

Amid a culture-war storm that has hit several American companies in recent weeks, including Bud Light and Target, LGBTQ+ rights advocates and anti-trans activists are now focusing on Walmart’s approach to the debate and putting the company’s marketing strategy under increased scrutiny.

After calls to boycott Target over its trans-friendly products—part of its Pride season’s collection—the American retailer announced on Tuesday that it was removing some items in its Pride collection.

The decision was seen as a small victory by anti-trans activists, which have appeared galvanized by the retailer’s move and eager to put another company that sells Pride-related merchandise—Walmart—under the same amount of scrutiny.

“We’ve backed #Target into a corner for selling #Pride merch in the children’s section. Now we go for #Walmart. These woke companies need to know that enough is enough. Not ONE MORE F****** DAY. They’re NOT GETTING our kids,” tweeted one user on Wednesday.

“TARGET and WALMART are selling this PRIDE book. I cancelled my Walmart+ membership and removed the Target App. Book targets 4-8 year olds. Walmart, the top U.S. retailer and the third largest in the world,” wrote another.

“It is EVERYWHERE. Walmart,” tweeted another user sharing a picture of a Pride-friendly product for pets.

But Walmart is also now being looked at by trans rights and LGBTQ+ activists as one of the companies worthy of being supported for not having yet caved to the pressure exerted by the culture wars.

“@Walmart hasn’t stopped selling #Pride merchandise. Go to Walmart. If you give in to magats, you don’t get my business. We need to defend ourselves and others. We need to defend democracy. Silence is complicity. #AllyToAll,” tweeted one user calling for a boycott of Target.

“I can’t believe Target is out here making Walmart look woke. Do better, @Target!” tweeted another user.

Target has not removed all of its Pride-themed merchandise but has not yet said which specific items it will stop selling on its website and in its stores as they are still under review. The satanic-themed products were immediately removed, according to Reuters.

In recent months, several major brands—including Adidas and Nike—have been hit by backlash after featuring trans models and influencers in their promotional campaigns.

Bud Light, which offered a paid sponsorship deal to trans activist and social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney in early April, was the subject of a major boycott last month called by conservative customers who felt the company had betrayed its core values.

Similar threats were made to Target, whose trans-friendly swimsuits—part of its Pride month’s clothing collection—became the object of massive controversy online. The anger of anti-trans activists—including conservatives, feminists and some gay rights groups—focused on a few items in the collection, including genderfluid and “tuck-friendly” swimsuits and a satanic-themed queer-friendly T-shirt. “Tuck-friendly” items allow for trans women who have not had gender-affirming surgery to conceal their private parts.

Despite the backlash, some customers were supportive of Target’s initiative, praising the retailer’s Pride collection for getting “better every year,” as one wrote on Twitter.

Newsweek has reached out to Walmart’s media team through their website for comment.