Target's 'tuck-friendly' swimsuits only sold in adult sizes
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on May 25, 2023 at 21:08
- 2 min read
- By Natalie WADE, AFP USA
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"We successfully boycotted Bud Light. Now it's Target's turn," says a May 17, 2023 Instagram post from Matt Walsh, a conservative internet personality who has previously spread misinformation.
The post, which features a video of the retailer's pride month offerings, received more than 187,000 likes. The New York Post has published similar claims.
"Retail giant Target rolled out an 'LGBT Pride' collection that includes so-called 'tuck-friendly' wear and rainbow-colored onesies for infants and children," says a May 19 article from the tabloid.
The article and related posts evoke calls to boycott Bud Light in April 2023 after the beverage company partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, sparking outrage and false claims.
Other examples of the Target narrative spread across Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from the US state of Georgia, shared a related video from the anti-LGBTQ account Libs of TikTok.
Target has stocked stores with LGBTQ merchandise ahead of June, designated pride month in the United States and elsewhere. But claims that the retailer is selling children's "tuck-friendly" swimsuits, designed with extra fabric to reduce the appearance of genitalia, are false.
The bathing suit shown in the videos is called the "Pride Adult One Piece Colorblock Swimsuit," according to Target's website (archived here).
A company representative confirmed the item is designed for adults, citing an Associated Press fact check.
Target's pride collection does include children's items (archived here) -- but none of the swimsuits have a "tuck-friendly" construction.
Still, Target's pride collection has inspired backlash. The company removed some apparel and moved pride sections to the back of stores after its stock fell.
"Since introducing this year's collection, we've experienced threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and well-being while at work," Target said in a May 24 statement (archived here). "Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior."
Adidas has also come under fire for its launch of a pride-themed swimsuit.
The backlash and misinformation come as states introduce a record number of bills aimed at curtailing LGBTQ rights.
More of AFP's reporting on LGBTQ misinformation can be found here.
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