# Target Pride 2023 backlash

> Target pulled Pride items after threats; over 100 groups demanded their return.

- Owner: Target
- Kind: Moment
- Sector: Retail
- Seed date: 2023-05-10
- Peak proxy date: Jun 2023
- Date basis: Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak. Some dates are known only to the week, month or year.
- Spread Score: 30 (Niche), v1.3
- Mechanics: Controversy, Platform jump, Press loop, Political adoption, Newsjacking

## Summary

Boycott videos spread from X to Instagram and TV. Target removed Pride items after threats, then faced criticism from LGBTQ groups. Target later said the backlash hurt sales but could not isolate its effect.

## Timeline

- 2023-05-10 — Gays Against Groomers (@againstgrmrs) (X) — Gays Against Groomers posted a store video and urged shoppers to give Target the Bud Light treatment.
- 2023-05-11 — Morgonn McMichael (@morgonn) (Instagram) — Morgonn McMichael posted an Instagram reel criticizing Target’s Pride collection.
- 2023-05-23 — Reuters (Press) — Reuters reported that Target was removing Abprallen products from all US stores and its website.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/mcp#api).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/target-pride-2023-backlash

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Target Pride 2023 backlash.” Case HIS-01724. Spread Score v1.3: 30/100. Updated 2026-10-26. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01724