‘Things Got Really Scary Really Fast During Pride Month’

In May, Target began rolling out its Pride merch: a rainbow-colored assortment of “Queer All Year” calendars; Bye Bye, Binary children’s books; and tuck-friendly swimwear. The big-box retailer has stocked Pride displays for well over a decade, but this time around, conservative media outlets seized on the swimsuit line — designed for trans femme people — and falsely claimed it was meant for children. In a year marked by heightened vitriol against the LGBTQ+ community and right-wing conspiracy theories that its members are “groomers,” violent backlash ensued as some protesters tore down Pride displays, harassed Target employees, and made bomb threats at local stores.

Target attempted to address the backlash by announcing the removal of Pride merchandise “at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior” from its shelves. Not all employees are happy with the decision. “These people feel like if they’re loud enough, angry enough, and violent enough, something will get done,” says one 23-year-old who works at a branch in California, one of three LGBTQ+ employees who spoke to the Cut about the harassment they’ve faced in stores over the past month. “They’re making bomb threats because they’re angry about a couple rainbow shirts in a store.”

A hotter planet means more plane turbulence, according to a recent study. Meanwhile, down here on the ground, UPS drivers are finally getting air-conditioning in their trucks. Also on the climate-change-victim list: summer vacation as we know it. We like to think we’re open-minded people, but this “cocktail” is a bridge too far. Stunts like this are why people hate vegans. October is going to be even scarier than usual this year. New rule: Put Miriam Margolyes on all the magazine covers. And read Ottessa Moshfegh on smoking cigarettes and becoming an adult in Esquire.

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