Pride month is almost over… and maybe it’s just me, but Pride Month hasn’t really Pride Monthed this year like previous years. I might be wrong, but there seems to be less… hm, outreach and representation this year than last. I know that there is likely some pandering when major corporations do things like tweeting “Happy Pride!” or include a hashtag such as #LoveIsLove and although I question how much sincerity there is when that happens, at least it’s something.
Target used to be a very active ally… I mean, if a store could be considered as such. They have their big booth or whatever at the Twin Cities Pride festival and were, as far as I know, one of the first business to state that their customers should use the restrooms/changing rooms that align with their gender identity. Target also used to have displays in their stores for Pride merchandise… well, until some losers got their panties in a twist last year.
Target framed this decision as protecting their employees against threats. Sure, that sounds nice but I am a little skeptical that’s the main reason. Earlier this year Target announced that some stores wouldn’t have Pride merchandise at every one of their stores, but would decide which stores did based on market research or whatever.
And maybe it’s me, but I haven’t seen a single Pride themed item at any of the Targets I have visited this month.
It’s discouraging to see a once influential ally decide that profits were more important than, well, anything else. And I know businesses need to earn money but Target, who had an income of 5.7 billion last year, isn’t exactly hurting.
Anyway, I don’t mean to be all bitchy today and I wanted to share a little comic about adulthood and gender identity. I don’t think there is enough conversation about this and I thought ya’ll might be interested in this.
I also wanted to share a couple of organizations for transgender youth that I hope are helpful:
PFund Foundation
From their website:
PFund Foundation builds equity with LGBTQ+ communities across the Upper Midwest by providing grants and scholarships, developing leaders, and inspiring giving.
PFund Foundation is a community-led foundation founded by and for the LGBTQ+ community.
In 1987, a collective of Minneapolis-based queer folks was raising money to support funeral costs and other urgent needs facing people affected by the AIDS crisis. Concurrently, gay adults in Minnesota were facing barriers to their legal and estate planning efforts due to homophobia, thus they endeavored to create an LGBTQ+ endowment. Philanthrofund Foundation was created when these fundraising and legal advocates combined efforts. This name, Philanthrofund, was selected as a means to protect those involved from harassment by homophobes. As the AIDS crisis created fewer financial emergencies, the energy around queer-led fundraising for Philanthrofund continued to grow. Philanthrofund’s name was later shortened to PFund. This collective will to overcome barriers for the LGBTQ+ community resulted in a long-term focus on scholarship awards to young queer adults and grantmaking to queer organizations.
Avenues for Youth
From their website:
Avenues’ partners with youth experiencing homelessness to achieve their dreams.
For more than 28 years, Avenues has supported youth ages 16-24 in Hennepin County. Whether a young person needs someplace to stay for just one night, or a year and a half, Avenues support youth to find their path out of homelessness. We do that by providing a stable home, building trusting relationships, and navigating the youth’s education, career, health and wellness and housing goals.
And finally, the MN T-Girls will be at this weekend’s Pride Festival! Hope to see you there unless you are creepy, of course.
Love, Hannah
Hannah McKnight 
I did find a small Pride display in the Bloomington Target. It was kind of in the middle of the store where there isn’t a lot of frequent traffic, partially hidden behind a bunch of other displays and racks. Very disappointing.
LikeLike
I feel like the majority, not all of our culture, is becoming more and more self absorbed than ever. In traffic, at work, in line at the grocery store. Not as many people seem to care about issues or causes unless it affects them personally. Blame it on technology, politics ,greed, consumerism, or the deterioration of a moral compass. As far as corporations, they only really care about their bottom line. The push for waving the diversity and inclusion flag during Covid was mostly a farce by big business as an outcome from the horrible murder of George Floyd. If they didn’t do it, what would people think? At the end of the day, employers don’t really care about people. Ask yourself how the stock market can reflect such great gains over the past two years, while inflation has gone through the roof? Greed! What the pandemic did prove to businesses was that people were willing to pay very high prices for essentials. Now that these greedy corporations will never give up the margin unless we stop buying their crap. To hell in a hand basket!
I digress.
Happy Pride Month and I hope everyone enjoys the celebration this weekend!
Nadine
LikeLike
Remember, corporations are not people, despite what some politicians have said. Corporations greenwash, genderwash, sportswash, even anti-insurrectionwash if their analysts determine that there is a probably positive impact on their quarterly valuation.
That’s all. And why? Because corporations in the late 20th and first fifth of the 21st Century exist solely to enhance stockholder equity momentarily, so that senior management can collect their bonuses. That’s it. No concern about future consequences for the corporation or society.
LikeLike
I did see a small Pride wear/wares section at a Target on the far west side here in Madison last weekend; it wasn’t in the far reaches of the store, but at the same time it wasn’t made a big deal out of. I’m as disappointed with you are about Target: I hope they’re still true allies to our community, but this year their Pride collection feels less like, “Be who you are, we’ll never judge” and more, “Buy our stuff, they’ve got rainbows on them.”
LikeLiked by 1 person