Tipsheet

Another Retail Store Is Facing a Boycott Over Pride Merchandise for Babies

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  May 30, 2023 8:15 PM

Even as Target takes a dive in stock prices for selling its pride-themed merchandise for children and babies, other companies aren't quite getting the memo. There's North Face, and now, Kohl's. The store sells pride merchandise, including apparel for babies, online and in stores.

The products in question causing concern are still available on the website. A quick search of "Pride" items leads not only to a collection of relevant products matching that description, but pro-LGBT messages as well as promotions of the brands and designer that they partner with.

"Love is our favorite color: Celebrate Pride Month," the website reads, with "color" in rainbow. The message goes on to read that "We are committed to amplifying and affirming the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community, celebrating the joy that comes from living authentically and unapologetically not just this month, but all year long."

Kohl's informers shoppers the company has made a $100,000 donation to The Trevor Project to "help support over 1,100 youth in crisis" and as "part of our 5-year commitment to ensure the Trevor Project can provide life-saving support to LGBTQ youth."

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The website showcases designer Emily Bury, who goes by "they/them" pronouns, The Phluid Project, and TomboyX. The website also invites shoppers to "Explore the Pride Collection" by checking out products that specifically fall under "LGBTQIA+ Owned & Founded Brands."

The Phluid Project, which is described as a "gender-free fashion brand," sells adult t-shirts through Kohl's online website. The organization's website, however, features Pride products catered to babies and toddlers as well as children. 

The website also includes a "Land Acknowledgement," which mentions in part that "The Phluid Project recognizes Manhattan as part of the ancestral and traditional homeland of the Munsee Lenape and Wappinger people" and goes on to point out that "By acknowledging the legacies of displacement, migration, and settlement, we are taking a small first step toward the long and overdue process of healing and repair."

Among the many list of resources offered by The Phluid Project's website includes a YouTube video on "Pronouns 101."

TomboyX sells their tanks, tees, shorts, bralettes and joggers through Kohl's. The lesbian-founded brand sells "tuck" underwear and bikinis on its own online website. Although such products are not sold through Kohl's, they are sold through Target's online store. 

The particular concern, one user pointed out while retweeting the End Wokeness account, is that the products and its ideology are being pushed on children and even babies.

As of Tuesday night, the onesie in question is indeed for sale online, and is available for babies as young as newborns and up to 24 months. It is a gray unisex onesie which prominently features a woman in a red sweater with white hards holding the pride flag which now represents people who are trans and also people of color. 

There's plenty more of pride themed items geared towards babies and toddlers, which include rainbow themed onesies, a "Happy Pride!" onesie with a rainbow, a pack of five onesies, and also Disney themed Pride shirts. 

The products for boys and girls include popular characters celebrating pride, including shirts involving the Muppets, Star Wars, Mickey, Lilo & Stitch, Batman, and Wonder Woman. There's also ones referring to pronouns, including all of them on one shirt, or "they/them/theirs." Other shirts go for messaging, such as how people should "Stand for Equality. Stand for Love. Stand for Change," that "Equality Has No Gender," and "Equality Is For Everyone." Also included in the boys and girls section is a pack of baby bibs. 

One product, a pack of rainbow stickers representing different members of the LGBT community, is included in the "toys" section.

Many took to Twitter to encourage a boycott, calling to mind the effect boycotts have had on Target and Bud Light, which led to "#BoycottKohls" trending on Monday. 

As Benny Arthur Johnson shared, who has been tweeting about Kohl's to raise awareness, Kohl's stock also took a dive of over 5 percent on Tuesday, joining other brands in facing boycotts and stock dives for going so woke.