“It’s time for the American consumer ... to start putting their money where their values are,” Heidi St. John, founder of MomStrong International told Family Research Council President Tony Perkins in an interview on “Washington Watch,” referring to the outrage sparked by Target’s LGBT+ merchandising campaign.
In the lead up to Pride Month, retail giant Target found itself in unexpected crosshairs as it began to ramp up its LGBTQ+ marketing, including “tuck-friendly” swimwear, LGBTQ+ inspired clothing, and children’s books about gender fluidity and transgender issues.
According to one estimate, Target’s stock lost over $15 billion in market value by June 9. At the time of this article’s publication, the company’s stock has dropped 14%, with the company producing weak sales in their fiscal second quarter.
To bolster the conservative boycott effort, Family Research Council also set its sights on Target, collecting signatures for a petition entitled: “Tell Target to Stop Targeting Our Children.” Garnering just under 23,000 signatures, the petition reads in full:
“I, the undersigned, am outraged by the actions of Target. Their decision to design and sell clothing meant to target children for indoctrination into the LGBTQ+ agenda violates my deeply held personal convictions, grounded in biblical truth and faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Word of God as revealed in Scripture stands in clear opposition to the ideologies that Target has chosen to support. Since Target has chosen to promote sinful ideologies and to target our children in the process, as a matter of faith, personal conviction, and stewardship of the resources that God has given me, I will not support Target by giving my money to them. I will not shop at Target until such a time as this decision is reversed and the company apologizes for undermining our values and targeting our children with indoctrination into LGBTQ+ ideology.”
A delegation from FRC attempted to deliver the petition to Target’s lobbying office in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, but after a brief introduction, their efforts were rebuffed. Fortunately, a second attempt was met with success. A representative from Target relented, accepting the petition on Wednesday.
FRC’s manager of Annual Giving, Claire Gatzke, who successfully delivered the stack of names, said “I’m glad that Target changed course and agreed to accept our petition. While Target may not hold to our biblical values, the 23,000 believers who signed the petition deserve to have their voices heard.”
