(Reuters) -Target’s move to pull some LGBTQ-themed merchandise from stores following customer backlash “is wrong,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a tweet on Tuesday and urged the retailer to reverse its decision.
At least 14 New York officials have signed a letter regarding Target’s decision, according to James’s tweet.
Target said last month it was making certain “adjustments” to its LGBTQ-themed products linked to Pride Month, citing increased confrontations between shoppers and employees and incidents of products being thrown on the floor.
The company has sold LGBTQ-related goods tied to Pride month for years but has faced growing criticism for carrying those products, including from conservative news outlets and Republican politicians, who have claimed certain items at its stores were marketed to children.
Target on Wednesday reiterated a statement it had shared last month, saying it has “experienced threats” impacting employees’ sense of safety while at work.
A similar backlash has impacted other companies. Department store chain Kohl’s faced criticism for carrying Pride-related products.
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Brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Bud Light lost its top spot in the U.S. beer market after it was boycotted following the company’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Pooja Desai)