The Dark Reality of Pride Threats at Target and Starbucks.

Conservative backlash against corporate Pride branding has led companies like Target to remove certain items from their shelves and make Pride merchandise less visible in stores. While some queer movement leaders believe that corporate marketing campaigns during Pride have contributed to the rise in public support for LGBTQ+ rights, the co-opting of queer celebration by corporations should be read as a reflection of the country’s progress on LGBTQ+ issues, not as a strategic instrument that helped bring that progress about. Companies are changing their approach to Pride branding in response to anti-LGBTQ+ movements amassing an increasing share of cultural and political power.