Brooke Binkowski

The thing that's killing me is, wingnuts go after Target over their Pride displays EVERY FUCKING YEAR. Every single year they've done this. But it's working this year -- because badly co-opted news organizations are pushing disinformation-riddled stories to normalize bigoted corporate and legislative actions. Just another day in the global, far right power grab.

https://apnews.com/article/target-pride-lgbtq-4bc9de6339f86748bcb8a453d7b9acf0

Target becomes latest company to suffer backlash for LGBTQ+ support, pulls some Pride month clothing

Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers. Target declined to confirm which items it was removing but among the ones that garnered the most attention were “tuck friendly” adult women’s swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts. Designs by Abprallen, a London-based company which designs and sells occult- and satanic-themed LGBTQ+ clothing and accessories, have also sparked a backlash.

AP News
May 24, 2023 at 3:35pmMetatext
Show threadBrooke BinkowskiMay 24, 2023
This was just 2017. This is how fast Americans forgot. https://www.upworthy.com/amid-backlash-target-still-launched-its-annual-lgbtq-pride-line-hell-yeah
Amid backlash, Target still launched its annual LGBTQ pride line. Hell yeah.

You might see a lot of rainbows during your next trip to Target.

Upworthy
Show threadSpike May 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie coordinated "brigading" by hate groups affects every industry now. Nobody talks about how they leverage their threats in ways that overwhelm and exhaust all but the most steadfast businesses
Show threadBrooke BinkowskiMay 24, 2023
@spike Okay, I can't respond in a way that doesn't sound cranky. I keep responding and deleting. I'll make it earnest instead. YES. I want more people to know this. Please help me spread the word more so that they understand that it's like a tiny handful of bullies that we need to slap the fuck down as hard as we can.
Show threadDarwin WoodkaMay 24, 2023

@brooklynmarie @spike

Not bullies. Fascists. They're fascists.

Show threadBrooke BinkowskiMay 24, 2023
@spike @darwinwoodka I'm the person who just spent years of her increasingly precious life and time trying to get people to wake the fuck up to this fascist threat before it was too late. You don't need to language police me.
Show threadMichael ☕️May 24, 2023
@darwinwoodka @brooklynmarie @spike
Show threadSpike May 26, 2023
@brooklynmarie Thank you for what you do. I didn't mean to imply anything other than support for resistance against brigading. But I've witnessed firsthand how corporations cave to this kind of behavior.
Show threadMexicanYentaMay 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie time to fight back. Call your local Target and tell them that they need to have more Pride merchandise.
Show threadBrooke BinkowskiMay 24, 2023
@MexicanYenta THAT'S HOW TO DO IT! Everybody needs to do this. Pressure the fuck out of the corporations currently folding to bullies, drown them out!
Show threadMexicanYentaMay 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie that’s what the right wingers are doing. There’s a subreddit for Target, and lately it’s been full of Target employees talking about how homophobes are calling the stores every day to complain about Pride merch.
Show threadBrooke BinkowskiMay 24, 2023
@MexicanYenta I've been telling people that they're coordinating these phone trees on Facebook and Reddit and that overwhelming them (and newsrooms and legislators' offices) with complaints about how they're pandering to white supremacists' inauthentically organized nonsense is a fantastic tool and I sure hope they listen
Show threadenmodo ⚛️ 🧬 🇺🇦 🍉May 24, 2023

@MexicanYenta @brooklynmarie if you don't like Pride merch, don't buy Pride merch.

I'm not into Easter, or Halloween, or even Christmas much but I sure as shit don't expect stores to stop selling it because of me.

Show threadenmodo ⚛️ 🧬 🇺🇦 🍉May 24, 2023

@MexicanYenta @brooklynmarie in the meantime:

https://contactus.target.com/ContactUs?Con=ContactUs&searchQuery=search+help#

If you pick "Corporate information" they give you a phone number to call. If you pick "Store Experience" there's an option to "Chat now".

Contact Us

Show threadTed GarrisonMay 25, 2023
@enmodo @MexicanYenta @brooklynmarie Maybe that's the counterattack that's needed. Don't try to battle back on Pride stuff, go after the RWNJ's favorite religious holidays. See if you can get Target to start pulling that shit off the shelves..
Show threadOtownKimMay 24, 2023
@MexicanYenta @brooklynmarie email, call fight back
Show threadSensible CroneMay 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie At My St Louis #Target. #Target, call security, the police, attorneys to deal with the hate and aggression. OK Thx!
Show threadALB1May 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie after this there needs to be a backlash on anything even slightly religious or pro-right-wingnut. They sell things with crucifixes. Why are they pudhing this cult agenda?! Wheres the statue of baphomet? Wheres the wiccan herb isle for spells? They are grooming our children into genocidal water-walkers!
Show threadPhoenix Rising 🏳️‍🌈🗽💙🪶🇺🇲May 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie it was just a convienent excuse to bail.
Show threadSouthern LeftistMay 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie
Anyone think that that the reason our socialist heroes burn out is due to being surrounded by negativity and hate?
Show threadWendy LadyMay 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie corporate Pride capitalism was a mistake.
Show threadKris SamselMay 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie Target being targeted? Fascists need a punching bag. Toys and clothes are their fetish. Week or two later? Fascists in dumpsters grabbing the crap they bitched about. Useless child adults.
Show threadSouthern LeftistMay 24, 2023
@humansriseup @brooklynmarie
Minority fetishism: attacking marginalized groups and its members in an almost obsessive way.
Show threadSouthern LeftistMay 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie
THIS AIN'T A BUBBLE, THIS IS REALITY Y'ALL.
Show threadPB Livin'May 24, 2023

@brooklynmarie I believe it when they say their workers feel uncomfortable or even unsafe with these violent/aggressive people coming into stores or making threats.

But seems to me the response should be to hire some security guards, not remove products. If people are going to be violent in stores, there should be consequences, or deterrents (security) showing that it's unacceptable.

Don't deprive customers of products just because there's a few agitators, that's stupid and unfair.

Show threadPB Livin'May 24, 2023

@brooklynmarie Also, we have GOT to get rid of the term "backlash". Makes it sound like an inevitable force of nature.

Insightful thoughts 👇
https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/110425349913184719

Show threadThe Flight AttendantMay 24, 2023
@brooklynmarie https://mastodon.social/@GottaLaff/110426101038451458
Show threadundead enby of the apocalypseMay 25, 2023
@brooklynmarie this is a bad sign when it comes to the overton window.
Show threadBibbleCoMay 25, 2023

@brooklynmarie "There are close to 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have gone before state legislatures since the start of this year, an unprecedented number, according to the American Civil Liberties Union."

Good grief.