Pride organization rejects Target’s $50K donation after the store turns its back on DEI

by Curated January 30, 2025 · Gay News / Gay Pride / Gay Rights / LGBTQ Nation

Twin Cities Pride Executive Director Andi Otto told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the Minneapolis-based corporation’s decision was “the last straw.”

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“Target executives have been in touch with Twin Cities Pride about changes to the company’s DEI programs,” a January 24 statement from Otto posted on Instagram read. “We are working through what this means for the LGBTQ+ community and the long-standing partnership between Target and our organization. We will keep the community informed about any crucial updates from these discussions.”

On Sunday, Otto told the Star Tribune that Twin Cities Pride would forego Target’s expected $50,000 sponsorship this year to protest the company’s decision.

“Unfortunately, in a time where it’s been a really, really rough week for our community given everything that has come down from the new administration, this was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Otto said, adding that he was “absolutely shocked” by Target’s announcement.

According to Otto, Target has sponsored Twin Cities Pride’s June festival and parade for at least 18 years, donating $50,000 to $70,000 annually. Losing the company’s sponsorship would leave a significant gap in the organization’s funding, he said.

“But what is more important is that we send the message that companies need to do the right thing,” Otto added.

In a Monday Instagram post announcing the move to cut ties with Target, Twin Cities Pride called on supporters in the community to help fill the funding gap, and Otto told the Star Tribune that the nonprofit organization is still looking for sponsors to make up the difference.

As University of St. Thomas marketing professor Seth Ketron told the outlet, Target has built its brand around inclusivity for years. More recently, however, the company has been the subject of right-wing attacks over its annual collection of Pride merchandise. Following a 2023 boycott attempt, Target bowed to anti-LGBTQ+ pressure, announcing that its 2024 Pride merchandise would only be available in specific markets.

“In every way, Target seemed to have made this firm and bold commitment,” Yohuru Williams, director of the University of St. Thomas’s Racial Justice Initiative said. “I think that’s why it feels like such a betrayal to so many in terms of what’s happening now.”

Williams suggested that corporations may feel pressure to comply with Trump’s recent Day 1 anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-DEI executive orders. At the same time, Ketron said companies’ recent decisions to roll back DEI initiatives could stem from fear of “political blowback of some kind.”

Kat Rohn, executive director of OutFront Minnesota, told the Star Tribune that Target’s move represents “an abdication of leadership in a moment that is calling on corporate leaders and organizational leaders to step up.”

Otto noted that Twin Cities Pride has not entirely “shut the door” on reestablishing ties with Target in the future. “But when it comes to right now, our community does not want to see someone who has rolled back [DEI] policies in a place where they want to celebrate and feel empowered,” he said.

According to the Star Tribune, a spokesman for Target declined to comment on the Twin Cities Pride decision. LGBTQ Nation has also contacted Target and will update this story if we receive a reply.

Target scored 95 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Corporate Equality Index, a measure of companies’ LGBTQ+-inclusive workplace policies. Target has an employee resource group called the Pride+ Business Council that creates events and experiences for LGBTQ+ team members to connect and get involved. The company also hosts internal events during Pride Month for interested employees to learn, reflect, celebrate, and connect with the LGBTQ+ community.

Last year, Target took pride in their support for LGBTQ+ employees in a statement to LGBTQ Nation.

“Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round,” the statement said. “Most importantly, we want to create a welcoming and supportive environment for our LGBTQIA+ team members, which reflects our culture of care for the over 400,000 people who work at Target. We have long offered benefits and resources for the community, and we will have internal programs to celebrate Pride 2024.”

The statement also boasted about the company’s involvement in Minneapolis’ Pride events, as well as the Pride gear that they sell each year. In 2020, the company pledged to give $10 million to social justice initiatives and to rebuild areas of Minneapolis damaged by riots, according to CBS News.

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Author: John Russell