A Plurality of Voters Support Pride Products and Think Corporations Like Target Should Keep Their Pride Displays
By Rob Todaro
LGBTQ+ Pride Month looks and feels different this year, as the LGBTQ+ community faces a “state of emergency” — with at least 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law in 2023 alone — and increased threats of violence at Pride celebrations. Amid these attacks, Data for Progress’ recent polling found that LGBTQ+ adults feel like society has become less safe.
As anti-LGBTQ+ political rhetoric has become more visible and hostile, some companies have faced backlash and boycotts for celebrating Pride and selling products in support of the LGBTQ+ community. In particular, following several confrontations provoked by right-wing social media influencers, the retail company Target recently announced that it would be “adjusting” plans for its 2023 Pride collection, “including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.” This week, it was reported that Target stores in at least five states received bomb threats for their Pride merchandise.
New polling from Data for Progress shows that a plurality of voters (49 percent), including a majority of Democrats (78 percent) and Independents (51 percent), think Target should keep its Pride-themed merchandise and displays to support the LGBTQ+ community, while 41 percent think Target should remove these displays.
Separate from the Target controversy, a plurality of voters also generally support corporations selling products for Pride Month in June in support of the LGBTQ+ community and oppose corporations taking down their Pride displays in response to backlash or boycotts.
Rob Todaro (@robtodaro) is the Communications Director at Data for Progress.