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class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Matt Laviet</a></span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">Pri flags, which were created to promote uny, are beg lled polil and divisive some schools across the untry. A recent example: An Oregon school board on Tuday banned tors om displayg the flags. </p><p class="">“We don’t pay our teachers to ph their polil views on our stunts. That’s not their place,” a school board member Newberg, Brian Shannon, the policy’s thor, said at a rerd board meetg. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">Several other school officials and stunts around the untry have targeted LGBTQ symbols. A teacher rigned Missouri last month after he was told to <a href=">remove</a> a rabow flag om his classroom and that he uldn’t discs “sexual preference” at school. Stunts at a high school near Jacksonville, Florida, were acced several weeks ago of harassg classmat a Gay Straight Alliance club and stompg on pri flags. And Augt, pri symbols were targeted at a high school near Dallas, where rabow stickers were orred to be scraped off classroom doors. </p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Rally Oppos Prohibg Black LIv Matter and Pri Flags Newberg Schools" height="1667" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Stunts, teachers and parents rallied Thursday Newberg, Ore., to oppose an imment vote by the school board that would prohib Black Liv Matter and pri flags or banners schools. </span><span class="ptn__source">John Rudoff / Sipa USA via AP</span></figptn></figure><p class="">In most s, admistrators have said the LGBTQ emblems are divisive and “<a href=">polil</a>.” LGBTQ stunts, parents and teachers affected by the bans ntend that the new l harm a vulnerable group of young people.</p><p class="">“Feelg safe should not be polil,” said Victor Frsto, 16, a stunt at MacArthur High School Irvg, Texas, jt outsi Dallas. </p><p class="">“For me, when a teacher put up that sticker, basilly nveyed the msage that ‘when you e here, you will not be hated for who you love or what you intify as,’” said Frsto, who is gay. </p><sectn class="le-vio le-vio---body"><div class="le-vio__background"><div class="le-vio__player"><div class="vioPlayer styl_vioPlayer__bL8AJ styl_adNotPlayg__Q51_C styl_alignDktopBottom__4cHaO styl_alignMobileBottom__bhgkQ"><div class="vioSlate"><a href=" class="allowClicksOnPreview"><picture class=""><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet="><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet="><img loadg="lazy" src="></picture></a><div class="playButtonOuter absolute absolute-fill w100 dn-prt"><div class="absolute absolute-fill w100 df ems-center ems-center-m jtify-center jtify-center-m"><div class="play le-vio__play-button"><svg class="play--in" xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 15 15" prerveAspectRat="xMidYMid" style="max-width:30px"><path d="M0 0v15l15-7.41z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg></div></div></div></div><div id="122526277822"></div></div></div></div><div class="le-vio__"><h2 class="le-vio__tle"><a href=">Oregon school district bans 'ntroversial' flag displays</a></h2><span class="le-vio__tail"><span>Oct. 1, 2021</span><span>02:01</span></span><div class="styl_share__n3Syu le-vio__share dn-prt"><div class="styl_shareExpanr__hVk8d le-vio__share-expanr styl_hoverEffect___Dj4s"><span class="styl_shareDot__9pfRZ le-vio__share-dot"></span><svg class="styl_shareClose__6BZxR le-vio__share-close" viewBox="0 0 15 15"><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="0" y2="15"></le><le class="styl_shareLe__EJUjO" x1="0" x2="15" y1="15" y2="0"></le></svg></div><div class="styl_shareList___M8wC le-vio__share-list"><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-facebook styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href=" class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-twter styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a><a href="mailto:?subject=Oregon school district bans 'ntroversial' flag displays& class="styl_shareLk__gSGN3" target="_blank" rel="noopen noreferrer"><span class="in in-email styl_shareIn__lVnRm le-vio__share-in"></span></a></div></div></div></sectn><p class="">The cisn to ban the rabow pri stickers sent a very different msage, Frsto said.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class=""> “By seeg how those stickers were removed, you get the msage that ‘I do not f here, I should not be here,’” he said.</p><p class="">Frsto, who is the print of his school’s Gay Straight Alliance, or GSA, said the rabow stickers were removed overnight whout warng. </p><p class="">He and other GSA members took to the attentn of their GSA sponsors, a group of teachers who had already received an email om the school district about the matter.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Rally Oppos Prohibg Black LIv Matter and Pri Flags Newberg Schools" height="1667" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Stunts, teachers and parents rallied Thursday Newberg, Ore., to oppose an imment vote by the school board that would Black Liv Matter and Pri flags or banners schools.</span><span class="ptn__source">John Rudoff / Sipa USA via AP</span></figptn></figure><p class="">“While we appreciate the sentiment of reachg out to stunts who may not prevly always had such support, we want to set a different tone this year,” read the email, which a teacher shared wh NBC News.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">The tors reassured the group that they would ph for an explanatn and fight to get the stickers back on classroom doors, Frsto said. But wh the next several days, two teachers were rted off mp, he said.</p><p class="">A spokperson for the Irvg School District cled to intify the teachers and, when asked about their alleged removals, told NBC News that the district “do not ment on employee-related matters.” </p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_small__5hUB_ styl_portra__NRWbO"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt=" A stunt walkout at MacArthur High School Irvg, Texas." height="862" width="591"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer"> A stunt walkout at MacArthur High School Irvg, Texas.</span><span class="ptn__source">Courty Victor Frsto</span></figptn></figure><p class="">In rponse to the sticker removal, hundreds of stunts staged a class walkout last week. In a <a href=">vio</a> posted Wednday by the muny-based journalism platform Smash Da Topic, stunts n be heard shoutg, “Brg our stickers back!”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">After the prott, the district fend the move a <a href=">statement</a> as a way “to ensure that all stunts feel safe regardls of background or inty” by matag polil impartialy. </p><p class="">Newberg admistrators also ced polil ntraly fendg their policy. After havg e unr fierce cricism for prohibg pri and Black Liv Matter flags specifilly, school board members broaned a ban last month to block tors om displayg all symbols that the board emed “polil, quasi-polil or ntroversial.” </p><p class="">“Their place is to teach the approved curriculum, and that’s all this policy do, is ensure that’s happeng our schools,” Shannon, one of the seven school board members who spearhead the policy, said at a livtreamed <a href=">board meetg</a> Tuday night. </p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Rally Oppos Prohibg Black LIv Matter and Pri Flags Newberg Schools" height="1667" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Stunts, teachers and parents rallied Thursday Newberg, Ore., to oppose an imment vote by the school board that would prohib Black Liv Matter and Pri flags or banners schools.</span><span class="ptn__source">John Rudoff / Sipa USA via AP</span></figptn></figure><p class="">The Newberg Cy Council and the Newberg Edutn Associatn, a unn reprentg 280 tors and staff members the district, have nounced the policy, and the Oregon State Board of Edutn has asked for to be revoked. Communy members have also petned to rell Shannon.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">“As a gay man wh no children and no real sire to have children, I feel like I should never know the nam of the people on the school board, let alone have to stand up agast them,” said Zachary Goff of Newberg, who lnched the petn, which has gotten over 1,000 signatur.</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">“I thk I speak for a lot of people my muny, but we n’t s here and let this happen,” Goff add. “They picked a really bad town to be the guea pig.”</p><p class="">Chelsea Shotts, 29, who is bisexual and works at an elementary school as a behavral terventnist the school district, said her mental health has terrated sce the district troduced the policy over the summer.</p><p class="">“If I only red about myself, I would jt qu — like, easily qu and leave,” Shotts said. “But the thg is I’m Newberg and I’m Dune bee I love the stunts, and they serve everythg.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“I would rather be able to stay here and keep dog the work stead of beg attacked by a culture war that four board members started,” Shotts add. </p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Chelsea Shotts, a Newberg School District behavral terventnist, fac off wh a unterprotter at a monstratn over pri and Black Liv Matter flags last week Newberg, Ore." height="837" width="1280"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Chelsea Shotts, a Newberg School District behavral terventnist, fac off wh a unterprotter at a monstratn over pri and Black Liv Matter flags last week Newberg, Ore.</span><span class="ptn__source">Courty Chelsea Shotts</span></figptn></figure><p class="">School admistrators aren’t the only people who have gone after pri flags and LGBTQ symbols this school year. </p><p class="">Police Blacksburg, Virgia, are vtigatg several thefts of pri flags outsi a Virgia Tech relig center. In one se, the LGBTQ symbols were <a href=">replaced</a> wh two Conferate flags. And Geia, a high schooler was charged last month wh <a href=">attackg</a> another stunt draped a pri flag a school feteria.</p><p class="">Advot have long been warng tors about the disproportnate rat of bullyg, harassment and mental health issu plagug LGBTQ youths.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">A <a href=">survey</a> this year by The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suici preventn and crisis terventn anizatn, found that 42 percent of the nearly 35,000 LGBTQ youths who were surveyed serly nsired suici wh the last year. More than half of transgenr and nonbary youths who were surveyed serly nsired suici, also found.</p><p class="">A separate <a href=">survey</a> nducted by The Trevor Project last year found that LGBTQ youths who reported havg at least one LGBTQ-affirmg space also reported lower rat of attemptg suici.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Image: Cai and Cael Woolsy" height="2123" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Beth Woolsy's children, Cai and Cael Woolsy, both 14, on their first day of school Newberg, Ore.</span><span class="ptn__source">Courty Beth Woolsy</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Beth Woolsy, who is bisexual and has two LGBTQ children who attend school Newberg, said the harrowg numbers weigh on her as she sends her kids back to school every day.</p><p class="">“When we unrstand that ’s tly life and ath that we’re talkg about as we send our kids to school, and then they’ve taken away the safety of knowg who they n go to and who they n expect to advote for them, is really sry,” she said. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="endmark"><strong><em>Follow </em></strong><a href="><strong><em>NBC Out</em></strong></a><strong><em> on </em></strong><a href="><strong><em>Twter</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a href="><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em> & </em></strong><a href="><strong><em>Instagram</em></strong></a></p></div><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><div class="expand-byle-ntributors 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data-activy-map="social-share-lks-article-top" data-ttid="social-share-menu"><li data-ttid="social-share-facebook" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_facebook__bOW_X"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-facebook"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-twter" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_twter__ww7sF"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-ptert" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_ptert__CaMm1"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-ptert"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-email" class="styl_em__b5A78"><a href="mailto:?subject=Target quietly mov Pri merchandise some stor as nservative activists clare victory& target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-email"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-py" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_py__RACZ3"><button type="button" class="styl_button__b3sx_"><span class="in in-lk"></span></button><div class="styl_pyTooltip__Ut_t1"><span class="in in-alt-check"></span></div></li><li data-ttid="social-share-sms" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_sms__Vohh6"><a href="sms:?&body=Target quietly mov Pri merchandise some stor as nservative activists clare victory via nbews - target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-sms"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-prt" class="styl_prt__cw6Gn"><button type="button" class="styl_button__b3sx_"><span class="in in-share-prt styl_in__P3XZT"></span><span class="styl_text___8iNX">Prt</span></button></li><li data-ttid="social-share-save" class="styl_save__ILVuj"></li></ul></div><div class="article-body__date-source"><time class="relative z-1" dateTime="2023-05-24T21:31:17.327Z" ntent="2023-05-24T21:31:17.327Z">May 24, 2023, 7:26 PM UTC<span> / </span>Updated<!-- --> <!-- -->May 24, 2023, 9:31 PM UTC</time></div><div class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Daniel Ark</a></span>, <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Matt Laviet</a></span> and <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Daysia Tolento</a></span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">Target me unr tense scty this week after the retail giant announced that was <a href=" target="_blank">pullg some LGBTQ-themed merchandise</a> followg what a rporate spokperson scribed as “threats impactg our team members’ sense of safety and wellbeg while at work.”</p><p class="">Target ctomers posted vios on TikTok showg that Pri merchandise displays had been moved to ls visible lotns, cludg the back of the store.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">“So disappoted @target right now,” one TikTok er wrote a ptn to a vio apparently rerd at a Target lotn Mureboro, Tennsee. “You lerally hid your LGBTQ ‘support’ so as to not offend hateful small md people. Dont seem too ncerned about offendg your own employe and loyal ctomers though.”</p><p class="">Target’s rporate munitns partment did not immediately rpond to an email ntag a list of qutns, cludg which Pri ems were removed and the nature of the threats agast employe.</p><p class="">In a statement Tuday night, a spokperson for Target said the pany has “offered an assortment of products aimed at celebratg Pri Month” for more than a . But “sce troducg this year’s llectn, we’ve experienced threats impactg our team members’ sense of safety and wellbeg while at work.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Pri month merchandise at the ont of a Target store Hackensack, N.J." height="1667" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Pri month merchandise at the ont of a Target store Hackensack, N.J., on May 24, 2023.</span><span class="ptn__source">Seth Wenig / AP file</span></figptn></figure><p class="">“Given the volatile circumstanc,” the spokperson said, “we are makg adjtments to our plans, cludg removg ems that have been at the center of the most signifint nontatnal behavr. Our foc now is on movg forward wh our ntug mment to the LGBTQIA+ muny and standg wh them as we celebrate Pri Month and throughout the year.”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">The pany did not immediately reply to a qutn about how the rporate cisn might be perceived by members of the LGBTQ muny.</p><p class="">In some stor the South, Pri displays appeared to have been moved to ls visible areas. </p><p class="">At a Target Cary, North Carola, two employe who did not want to provi their nam said the Pri llectn was featured at the ont of the store as recently as last week. The display is now further back, the women's clothg sectn, and women's swimwear has been placed near the ont. One employee said management told them to "swch thgs around" but they were not given a reason why.</p><p class="">One TikTok er <a href=">claimed</a> that Target Cyprs, Texas, moved s Pri llectn to the back of the store after a ctomer plaed to upper management.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">In a phone terview, the manager of the Cyprs, Texas, store referred NBC News to the rporate offic, but said movg the Pri llectn to the back was a “total pany cisn” that had “nothg to do wh the store.”</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">The pullback did not seem to affect every store. Brian Sg, a senr merchandise planner at a Target lotn Brooklyn, New York said the store’s large Pri display went up about two weeks ago and employe have not received any directns to take down.</p><p class="">Target’s large selectn of Pri merchandise also amid an unprecented time for LGBTQ rights Ameri. A historic 480 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed state legislatur across the untry this year, <a href=">acrdg to the Amerin Civil Liberti Unn</a>, wh lawmakers <a href=">enactg laws</a> to curtail tn on LGBTQ issu schools, drag performanc and transn-related healthre, among other provisns. </p><p class="">In a tweet Wednday morng, the right-wg personaly Matt Walsh wrote that his “goal” was to “make ‘pri’ toxic” for brands. </p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“If they ci to shove this garbage our face, they should know that they’ll pay a price,” he wrote. “It won’t be worth whatever they thk they’ll ga.”</p><p class="">Walsh allud to the <a href=">firtorm around Bud Light</a> after the beer brand partnered wh transgenr social media fluencer Dylan Mulvaney this sprg. Bud Light sal have dropped followg an onle mpaign and lls for boytts.</p><p class="">“First Bud Light and now Target,” Walsh tweeted. “Our mpaign is makg progrs. Let’s keep gog.”</p><p class=""><a href=" target="_blank">Other</a> <a href=" target="_blank">nservative</a> <a href=" target="_blank">activists</a> all but clared victory, too. In a tweet, the self-scribed "anti-woke" activist Rogan O'Handley celebrated Bud Light's drop pany value and Target stock droppg on Wednday. "THIS IS WHAT WINNING LOOKS LIKE," he tweeted.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Target hired LGBTQ signers for s Pri llectn last year, sayg wanted to “thentilly celebrate the muny,” acrdg to a pany news release. The brand ntued s partnership wh queer signers for s llectn this year. </p><p class="">Conservative activists have taken particular issue wh the llectn’s apparel for kids, and a “tuck-iendly” bathg su for adults. Clothg ems for children clu supportive slogans, cludg “jt be you” and “trans people will always exist!”</p><p class="">Brish signer Erik Carnell, one of the Pri llectn’s LGBTQ llaborators had his products pulled om the pany’s webse wh the last handful of days. He lled the retailer’s cisn to remove his products — which clud apparel ntag supportive msag, such as “cure transphobia, not trans people” and “we belong everywhere” — both “wrong” and “jtified.”</p><sectn class="embed-widget embedWidget embed-widget--medium"><div class="embed-widget__e-prentatn embed-widget__iamely-" style="--iame-height:0px"><div><div class="iamely-stagram iamely-app iamely-embed" style="max-width: 660px;"><div class="iamely-rponsive" style="paddg-bottom: 31.5%; paddg-top: 200px;"><iame data-src=" loadg="lazy" src="//" allowfullscreen></iame></div></div></div></div></sectn><p class="">“It’s difficult bee on one hand I’m obvly pletely agast . I thk that they should stand by their prcipl. If you’re gog to have a Pri range centered around and created by LGBTQ people, then … you need to stick that out,” he said. “However, if I were workg as a retail employee at a Target store, an open rry state, I wouldn’t feel safe. So, I do unrstand their thought procs on pullg some of the ems. Jtified or not, the safety of their employe has to be paramount.”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">Carnell’s partnership wh Target has been sctized by opponents of the pany’s Pri llectn largely for his e of Satanic symbolism some of his signs. None of Carnell’s products that were sold at Target nta Satanic imagery. However, that hasn’t stopped the “hundreds upon hundreds” of threateng emails he says he’s received recent days.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Pri month merchandise at the ont of a Target store Hackensack, N.J." height="1667" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Pri month merchandise at the ont of a Target store Hackensack, N.J., on Wednday. </span><span class="ptn__source">Seth Wenig / AP</span></figptn></figure><p class="">“I was overwhelmed by what a big opportuny this uld be — the amount of people who would see my work who never otherwise would have been exposed to , the people who are closeted that need to see somethg posive when they’re walkg a retail store,” said Carnell. “And the space of a handful of days, all of that has been pletely taken away om me and I’m jt left to al wh the ath threats and to al wh the hate mail and to al wh the accatns of groomg wh absolutely no support om Target.”</p><p class="">In a statement on Wednday, the LGBTQ rights anizatn GLAAD said “anti-LGBTQ vlence and hate” would persist “until rporate lears step up as hero for their LGBTQ employe and nsumers and do not ve to ge activists llg for censorship.”</p><p class="">“The fact that a small group of extremists are threateng disgtg and harsh vlence rponse to Target ntug s long-standg tradn of offerg products for everyone should be a wake-up ll for nsumers and is a remr that LGBTQ people, venu, and events are beg attacked wh threats and vlence like never before,” GLAAD print and CEO executive Sarah Kate Ellis said.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="endmark">David Johns, executive director of the Natnal Black Jtice Coaln, said Target’s actns reflects a “superficial” mment to s allyship wh the LGBTQ muny by “signalg that they re more about harrowg to hate mongers than they do standg wh muni who need support,” he said.</p></div><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Daniel Ark</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Daniel Ark is a natnal reporter at NBC News.</p></div></div><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Matt Laviet</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Reporter, NBC OUT</p></div></div><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Daysia Tolento</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Daysia Tolento is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.</p></div></div><div class="expand-ntributors">Jay Valle<!-- -->, <!-- -->Doha Madani<!-- -->, <!-- -->Jo Yurba<!-- -->, <!-- -->Charlie Gile<!-- -->, <!-- -->Rob Wile<!-- --> and <!-- -->Claretta Bellamy<!-- --> <!-- -->ntributed<!-- -->.</div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div 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