In 2023, Target stocked its stores with Pride Month merchandise that included children’s books for kids as young as two years old — titles like “Bye Bye, Binary,” “Pride 1,2,3,” and “I’m Not a Girl.” The displays were positioned at the front of stores, in high-traffic family areas, where children couldn’t miss them.

This wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t accidental. Target had been expanding its Pride collection for years, and 2023 represented a deliberate escalation into children’s products — exposing young kids to complex gender ideology before their parents had any opportunity to have those conversations on their own terms.

When American parents pushed back, Target initially pulled some merchandise and moved displays to the back of stores in southern states. But they never apologized. They never acknowledged that marketing gender ideology to toddlers was inappropriate. Instead, executives described the backlash as a “signal to pause and learn” — corporate language for waiting until the noise dies down.

And they haven’t stopped. Target continues to fund LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations year-round, maintains active DEI commitments throughout its corporate structure, and has made clear that its 2023 retreat was tactical, not principled.

Florida’s Attorney General has since filed a lawsuit against Target stemming from the 2023 controversy. Seven state Attorneys General sent letters warning that the merchandise could violate child protection laws.

This is a company that put its political agenda ahead of the parents who shop there every week.