Target Corporation has been the subject of controversial discussion in the last few weeks. As the company rolled out its Pride Month celebration merchandise, conservative customers began to object. Calls for boycotts have escalated into forms of vandalism and safety concerns for employees, according to the company.
One alleged Target employee has taken to Twitter in defense of the company's recent and hotly-contested move to move or remove "items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior." The employee, who we'll call Jai, believes that the company has their best interests in mind.
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“Hi, I AM a queer, trans target employee," Jai starts off. "And I would (personally) prefer the company be 'safe rather than sorry' [because] I don't get paid enough to get threatened, assaulted, or possibly gunned down at work over a swimsuit."
"Personally, I prefer the option that decreases the chance of violence, assault, and possibly death while I'm just trying to earn my $15/hr."
Jai was also quick to point out Target's strong history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community. "[Target's] bathrooms have been gender identity inclusive, and even when they faced backlash, they held firm," they write in their post. "[The company will] ALWAYS have queer and gender-inclusive greeting cards, merch, and items throughout the store. As an employee, I have a name tag with my chosen name and pronouns on it."
Still, Jai admits that visibility is important. "Does it hurt that folks who want this stuff and won't be able to get it, are hurting from this? Yeah." But their final thought puts things into a very stark perspective.
"[Are] my life and safety worth more than that?"
