Part of the new “PRIDE” collection introduced by Target includes clothing made by a UK-based brand whose designer has expressed satanist views, according to a report.
Abprallen, a London-based company which is headed by a transgender man known as “Erik,” has reportedly been collaborating with Target for about a year, according to The Washington Examiner.
The collection includes sweatshirts and tote bags with messages that include “live laugh lesbian,” “cure transphobia not trans people,” “too queer for here,” and “we belong everywhere.”
Abprallen sells apparel that includes satanic imagery including pentagrams, horned skulls, and references to the devil.
One design found on the apparel maker’s T-shirts and pins has the message: “Satan respects pronouns.”
Last year, Erik wrote on the brand’s Instagram page: “Being called a demon is something I can cope with, and the idea of a trans demon is pretty damn cool, most of my work focusses [sic] on gothic or dark and satanic imagery juxtaposed with bright colours and LGBT+ positive messages.”
The Post has sought comment from Abprallen and Target.
Reports of the tie-up sparked criticism on social media.
“Target has partnered with a company that promotes Satanism to produce its PRIDE clothing collection,” tweeted political commentator Erick Erickson, who added: “If you thought Bud Light went too far, you might need to consider shopping elsewhere.”
Bud Light, the Anheuser-Busch-owned brand beer, outraged customers and ignited calls for a boycott after it entered into a marketing partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Another Twitter user, Michael Seifert, tweeted: “Mega corporations are partnering with literal satanists to promote transgenderism to children.”
“You can’t make this up,” Seifert added. “Stop giving them your money.”
Target has come under fire on social media from outraged customers who posted video and photos of its “PRIDE” collection.
Viral videos include critics who claimed that Target was marketing “tuck-friendly” swimsuits to children, though the company said that the bathing suits were aimed at adults.
Posts criticizing Target shared photos or videos of either a one-piece swimsuit with a bright pink, orange, green and blue colorblock pattern, or black swim bottoms with colorful line stitches.
Both feature a circular tag that reads, “Tuck-Friendly Construction,” and “Extra Crotch Coverage.”
“Did you know @Target also sells ‘tuck-friendly’ bathing suits for children in the Pride section? Well now you do,” reads one post sharing a photo of the tag on Twitter.
The post has received more than 4,000 likes.
But a spokesperson for the company told the Associated Press that the “tuck-friendly” swimsuits are only offered in adult sizes.
Kids’ swimsuits in the collection do not feature this label, the company said.
Target’s top executive, Brian Cornell, told a podcast last week that “woke” capitalism was good for business and that marketing products that are LGBTQ-friendly was “the right thing for society.”
But other managers at Target are reportedly concerned, particularly in the south, where some stores were forced by corporate headquarters to move “PRIDE” merchandise away from the front of their locations due to customer outrage, according to Fox News Digital.
Target’s stock price is down by some 1.9% as of 1:35 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday.
With Post Wires
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
