Fact Check: Was a Target Pride sign taken down by livid customer this year? Viral photo debunked

After several brands like Bud Light, Nike, and Jack Daniels, Target also became the literal target and was slammed for being woke. The brand was bashed online after it launched its own LGBTQ merchandise, including “tuck-friendly” swimwear ahead of Pride Month. All of the backlash resulted in several people boycotting the retailer, and the chain lost over $9 billion in just a week.

Amidst all this, a video is circulating where a livid customer can be seen punching the “#TakePride” sign before taking it down and kicking it. While many social media users are claiming that the video is recent, the instance actually took place 2 years back, and the video is from 2021.

While the video being circulated claims to be from 2023, a Twitter account @RzstProgramming uploaded it on April 29, 2021. It stated that the man in the MAGA hat is Ethan Schmidt.

Although the video is from two years ago, the retailer is currently facing massive backlash for the Pride merchandise. The chain has also considered removing nearly 2000 products that were a part of its pride collection. These included items like clothing, books, music, and even home furnishing.

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“We've experienced threats”: Details explored about Target pulling its Pride products from the stores

While the video shared by multiple users of the man taking down the pride signboard at the retailer is real, the video is from 2021 and isn't recent. However, as mentioned earlier, ever since Target rolled out its new Pride Collection in the first week of May, it has received a lot of backlash.

In early May, the retailer introduced gender-fluid mugs, calendars, books, and clothing, but the company said that Target employees started receiving threats. In a statement, the chain announced that they would be removing items. The company said:

"Since introducing this year's collection, we've experienced threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and well-being while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are adjusting our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”

As the retailer posted about the collection on social media, the brand was also slammed online by social media users for the Pride Month collection.

Social media users lash out at the brand as old video resurfaces on social media. (Image via Twitter)

The brand also received hateful comments for its “tuck-friendly” women’s swimsuit that allowed transgender women to conceal their private parts. In response to the negative reactions involving shoppers in select southern US locations, the retailer decided to relocate its Pride merchandise from the front of stores to the back.

Target's assortment of Pride Month products has been followed by a series of deceptive videos circulating in recent weeks, including the one talked about above.

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It is also worth mentioning that Target isn't the only brand that has faced backlash for "being woke" in recent times. Nike and Bud Light were slammed for their collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The controversy and the backlash the companies faced led to several people boycotting them and even trying to cancel them.