I’m so sorry to see our divided nation going after companies that are trying to embrace diversity.
I don’t drink
I’m not a consumer of alcohol. But if I were, I’d drink the “light” version, I’m sure. And Bud Light’s as good as any. In fact, it’s preferred by many apparently. So now the company faces a months-long decline in sales because it used a transgender person in promotion? Really?
In some bars
There are some establishments that won’t even serve Bud Light now. And sales are dropping in the high 20 percentage points. It’s even led to a shake-up in marketing management at the company. And that’s wrong-headed. The company should embrace diversity, just as the nation should. Either you like the product and it’s price or you don’t.
And as for rainbows
My 9-year-old grandson is all boy! He’s had the same “girlfriend” for two years, whatever that means at age 9. But Joey loves rainbows. If you ask him his favorite color, the answer is always “rainbow.” His bedroom in the last two houses he’s lived in have had rainbows painted on the walls. He also likes rainbow clothing. If I had a young granddaughter, I’d be happy to see her in a rainbow tutu or some of the other Pride attire being manufactured. But that’s beside the point here, I suppose. Joey’s sexual orientation may be different when he matures. That’s okay.
June is Pride month
So, June is Pride month. Both Target and Kohl’s stocked merchandise accordingly. They are serving their clientele. That clientele includes gay people and, in fact, the whole LGBTQ community. Is that a problem? It seems to be for some folks. The tee-shirt that Target carries saying “Queer, Queer, Queer” would never appeal to me. But neither would their bikinis or thong underwear. That’s fine.
Target’s response
Target has been forced to move its Pride displays to the back of stores. Why? To protect staff members from customer threats and harassment, the company says. What kind of people harass store employees over the display of merchandise they don’t like? But this is a big deal. The company stock has tumbled by 14 percent. Protestors tore down some Pride signs. In one place they left a case of Bud Light on a display.
And now Kohl’s
Protestors are now pressuring Kohl’s on the same issue. Kohl’s which celebrates Pride month on its web page. Last year’s page included the following: This Pride Month, Kohl’s supports the LGBTQ+ community as we continue to accept people for who they are, all while celebrating them because of it. Whether becoming an advocate, attending a Pride parade or participating in a LGBTQ+ focused volunteer event, Kohl’s is committed to helping Our People, Our Customers and Our Community observe Pride wherever and however they choose.
Kohl’s merchandise and money
Last year’s web page went on to mention the merchandise available. And it showcased the $325,000 Kohl’s has donated since 2019 to the Trevor Project, which counsels young LGBTQ people. Those mentions are gone now from the Kohl’s website. Instead, the web page is filled with other impressive data about donations the company has made to the American Cancer Society, Wisconsin Children’s Hospital and others, along with other corporate news. Sad.
Is this just a few?
Let’s be careful, folks. I urge the companies to stand firm. Easy for me to say. I’m not in charge of corporate profits, employee safety or shareholder concerns. But either companies are for or against diversity.
I live in Eureka Springs, AR
After all, I live in Eureka Springs, AR, a tiny bubble of Blue that welcomes people of all kinds. We celebrate diversity with Pride events, even drag shows, despite the state’s efforts to try to shut them down. Rainbow merchandise is all over the historic downtown, which is a major tourist attraction. People take pictures all the time on the “rainbow stairs,” a colorfully painted long cement stairway that joins two street in the hilly business district. The LGBTQ community is embraced completely here.
And then there are the Waltons
Nine of the 23 members of the Walton Arts Center board in nearby Fayetteville have resigned after the center declined to host drag events during the upcoming Pride Weekend. It has hosted such events in the past. But the Legislature passed a law in its recent session outlawing drag events with children present. And the events planned for Pride Week included events for children and parents.
You’re taking this too far
Please, people. Avoid events you don’t like. Don’t buy merchandise that offends you. Give up your favorite beer for another if that’s your wish (seems kind of silly to me, though). But please embrace the humanity around us. No one choses sexual orientation or gender identity. It choses them. We need to love one another.