Right On Cue: Here's How The Left Is Framing Those Boycotting Target
A story published by the Washington Post has sparked outrage among conservatives after labeling the opponents of Target’s Pride celebration merchandise with the loaded term ‘extremists’.
The article which was titled 'Target gets caught in the cultural crossfire over Pride Month items', was written by a retail reporter and a business reporter, and focused on the claims of a female customer allegedly upset about Target’s Pride merchandise. The writer quoted several experts in observing “domestic terrorists” and right-wing “extremists” for the boycott of the retail giant.
When news broke that Target was selling ‘tuck-friendly’ bathing suits, LGBTQ onesies for babies, and merchandise from a transgender designer promoting Satanism, violence, and drug use, the boycotts really took off.
According to the report from the Washington Post, a manager of a Target store informed them of “tense” encounters about the retailer’s LGBTQ merchandise, ranging from customers accusing the company of “shoving their woke agenda down their throats”, to one customer even taking out scissors to cut her Target credit card in front of the guest service staff.
The article also mentioned threats targeted at several Target stores in several states. These threats were allegedly made by an individual allegedly angry that Target had “cowardly” turned its back on the LGBTQ community.
The story quoted Lindsay Schubiner, who studies violent movements for the anti-extremism watchdog Western States Center, who described the boycotts and harassment as “anti-democracy movements” and warned that “it’s not like any of this is all that unpredictable. We don’t always know exactly where these sort of anti-democracy actors are going to point to next”.
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and chief executive of LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD, also criticized Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga) for “demonizing” the LGBTQ community, blaming the boycotters for “ce[ding] ground to extremists” in their protests.
The Washington Post’s depiction of the boycotters as extremists has been met with harsh criticism. Many have pointed out that there is nothing ‘extreme’ about concerned parents objecting to LGBTQ-themed onesies for babies and satanic merchandise being sold at a major retail store.
Indeed, the backlash Target faces is not an example of right-wing extremism, but rather a rational and expected display of protests from citizens who object to the retailer’s explicit promotion of sexual senses.
To make matters worse, the stock price of Target has declined some 14% since the boycott began.
It’s clear that the boycotters are outraged and justified in their stance, and there is nothing extremist about it. To label responsible citizens with such an egregious term only serves to further divide an already polarized country. It would behoove the Washington Post to remember that.