Retail giant Target is now selling garments with a Satanic theme. The chain is stocking t-shirts aimed at kids featuring a character known as “Bible Girl 666,” a transgender social media influencer. A conservative Twitter user, Scarlett Johnson, revealed that one of Target’s designers praised Satan on his account and encouraged young people toward Satanism.
“Satan loves you and respects who you are, LGBTQIA+ people are so often referred to as being a product of Satan or going against God’s will, so fine. We’ll hang with Satan instead,” the post reads.
Target is already facing a backlash for stocking swimming costumes described as “tuck friendly.” This means the swim gear accommodates male genitalia and allows men to present as female while wearing it. The store’s share value dropped by 6% in a month and a half of that occurred after the controversial decision.
Staff have subsequently been instructed to move the “tuck friendly” stock away from the front entrances of stores.
Target CEO Brian Cornell is defiant, however, and dismissed the backlash and boycott threats. He said the chain had made “good business decisions” that were “the right thing for society.” He added that focusing on “diversity and inclusion and equity” has helped the company’s sales.
The move by Target comes as several other companies experience a similar backlash. Bud Light, for example, lost around 25% of its sales when it recruited transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote its product. Mulvaney produces videos for TikTok that are viewed by millions of people. He began his “journey to girlhood” just over a year ago, and women’s groups condemn him for mocking and ridiculing women and girls.
Boycotts against sports giants Nike and Adidas are also in the works. Nike used Dylan Mulvaney to sell women’s clothing, while Adidas used a male to sell its new range of women’s swimming costumes. British Olympic champion Sharron Davies, as well as tennis icon Martina Navratilova, publicly support the boycotts.
