While I understand it can be tough to navigate the many ways that brands we love support causes that do not align with our values, I think Target is one of the bigger offenders because of the bold way they have highlighted their worldview.
Let’s talk about Target.
If I’m honest, I’ve loved shopping at Target and have tried to avoid considering how supporting their stores has been impacting culture. Unfortunately, with their new line of PRIDE attire, I feel like I can’t avoid the elephant in the room anymore. Especially when the elephant is brightly dressed, at the front of the stores, and is displayed all throughout the children’s section where I often shop.
Target is a staple for many American families. It’s where moms go when they need a break from their kids, where teens go when they are ready to get their first job, and it’s filled with beautiful products that make it an enjoyable store to grab all your family's basics from. Hence why I have loved Target. I love that they have coffee waiting for me to buy at the front of the store. They have affordable clothing for me to admire while I also grab dog food and a gift.
The Growing Issue
I’ve avoided shopping elsewhere because, honestly, it’s harder. It means more stops and less fun for me. Yet, I feel convicted (probably a little later than I should) to take my business elsewhere. When a company does not make a choice to promote one group of people over all others, as they have done this year with their controversial PRIDE collection, it feels like they have gone too far. I really do not want to have to explain to my child why anyone would ever need bathing suits that are “tuck friendly” for men who would rather wear bathing suits that are designed for a woman’s body. Yet, if I choose to shop at Target, these bathing suits will be featured in bright, bold colors right at the entrance. I cannot walk through the store with my kids without them seeing and questioning what this display is all about.
Some other items that they have added to their collection include chest binders — a gender-affirming undergarment often used by transgender and nonbinary people to flatten their chests — and packing boxers, which are made with an extra pocket for a gender-affirming prosthetic. These items are inappropriate to be featured front and center at a family-friendly shopping store.
If that was not enough, Target went out of its way to hire Designs by Abprallen, a London-based company that designs and sells occult- and satanic-themed LGBTQ+ clothing and accessories. While Target claims none of the items in their stores are satanic, the decision to give such mainstream access to a brand with evil attire is unacceptable.
Why Avoid Target?
While I understand it can be tough to navigate the many ways that brands we love support causes that do not align with our values, I think Target is one of the bigger offenders because of the bold way they have highlighted their worldview. In a perfect world, we would research and make informed decisions about all our purchases, and if you feel called to do this, that’s truly amazing! It’s something I’m personally working on getting better at. I’ll be honest and share that convenience has trumped my conscience when it comes to most of my shopping habits.
Target feels extra important that we, meaning those who are Christ followers, respond because they are pushing the needle of what is acceptable in our mainstream department stores. There are very few other locations that I walk in, and am inundated with large messages of LGBTQ pride and more. Target wants to see what their customers, who are very largely made up of families, will tolerate.
Watching What We Endorse
Ephesians 5:12 says, “It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.” This verse is so very convicting for me! It’s getting harder and harder to avoid endorsing, being entertained by, and supporting things that God has said in his Word are not the best for us. While we can love everyone, we cannot endorse every lifestyle or action. God’s Word is clear about what the boundaries of our sexuality were designed to be. I know for many that these limitations feel frustrating, it is a part of God’s design and not something we have the authority to change.
By choosing to accept through our passive support of Target and others that want to bring what is done in the shadows into the light, we are going against God’s Word. Not to mention it sends mixed messages to the next generation about what kinds of expressions we feel are acceptable. We cannot tell them that we believe God created them to be male or female while supporting a company that thinks God made a mistake when he made our kids. Our children were created on purpose and with purpose. The message that the masses were made the wrong way is only stirring up confusion and harm in the generation that is emerging.
We have more power than we know. Already just the “threat” of the conservative market pulling away from Target has caused them to take pause. We can demand better and more from the retailers that influence our culture so tremendously.
Photo Credit: ©Shabaz Usmani/Unsplash
