Christmas is often a time of joy. It is famed for being a period in which we are expected to bench our prejudices and offensive thoughts so that we can experience the merry-making of the season to the fullest. It is a time that reminds us that if we have the power to believe in Santa, a fictional figure, we should have an equal amount of dedication to believe in all identities and people that inhabit Earth. However, in every society, there are those who defy expectations. This Christmas, a handful of conservatives are expressing their strong disapproval of Target’s inclusive Christmas merchandise, which features a Black Santa in a wheelchair and a nutcracker holding a Progress Pride flag and donning a rainbow hat. Some even took their disdain to social media where they are leading a boycott of the retail chain merely because they wanted to be inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community. This scenario does ring a bell or two in our heads (not jingles) because it follows suit of the boycott call that occurred in June when Target released a Pride Month Collection.
Target makes a bold move
Target is set to feature Gay Santas and LGBTQIA+-themed nutcrackers as part of its Christmas merchandise this holiday season, marking another move into the realm of pride-themed products. Erik Thompson, described as a “Senior LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist & Pride Lead,” recently announced his partnership with Target, emphasising his role in leading the company’s LGBTQIA+ multicultural merchandising strategy and Pride businesses. This comes after Target faced backlash and a decline in sales related to its Pride Month merchandise featuring a “tuck-friendly” swimsuit. Thompson expressed excitement about his new position, calling it an “honour.”
Thompson, whose username is ‘gaycruella’ on social media platforms, shared his thoughts on being appointed to the post where the individual said, “Time to whip out the Glitter and Hellfire flamethrowers and rip that old world to shreds darlings. Let’s flip that script and rewrite that narrative. This time for ALL Guests, ALL Humans and ALL Hearts”. The post picked traction once it was shared on X. Many who were bogged down in prejudices did not receive it well. In response to a comment questioning whether he would make Target’s sales tank, Thompson replied “Yes. Yes, I will make sales tank”, accompanied by heart and kissing emojis.
Anti-LGBTQIA+ believes Christmas is only for being merry, not gay
So they performed an outrage. It is the 21st Century. So it is only natural to assume that humanity has evolved its thinking patterns. Which is why many view this outrage as hyperbolic and unnecessary. The irony is that all of these individuals who were offended, do believe in Santa, just not Black Santas in wheelchairs. Because after all, in every narrative that we have perpetuated, Santa is inherently white, male and healthy beyond belief (age does not seem to get to him). Any other version of Santa is looked down upon and dismissed. This is not a rant directed at Santa, believing in him makes lives better. However, most of the anger against this outrage is directed towards those who are expressing their displeasure merely because there has been a change of Christmas scenery at Target.
Not even in anyone’s wildest dreams would one have assumed that ‘Seasons Greetings’ would have an alternative that goes like “Go Woke, Go broke”. This was just one of the many tweets that found its way to the centre of the anti-LGBTQIA+ wave. The phrase was preceded by a “Wow. Just wow. You would think that they [Target] would have learned from the last time. When will companies finally start to realise it”. Another read, “They are trying really hard to bankrupt themselves”. Followed by a third tweet, “Target is a woke corporation that will end up losing all of their customers one way or another due to weakness”. There were harsher hate comments where one X user stated that Target needs to be subjected to “the Bud Light treatment” which is a reference to the backlash that Anheuser-Busch (beer brand), which partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, received. The user did not stop the verbal abuse there where they also accused Target of being a “despicable company” and considered the items, including “Satanic pro LGBTQ nutcrackers” as an insult to Christians.
Most of these archaic views were sensibly countered by people. And most of them were actually enjoying the whole din and racket that was caused by a problem that actually does not exist. A user said, “Being kind to kids with disabilities means being woke now? The far right”. Another wrote, “I don’t see the problem. If I were disabled I would appreciate this. It is not ‘woke’ just because you validate something that is not common”. At the same time, one other person highlighted how Target had “Dracula in a wheelchair for Halloween. I love the fake character outrage. They are all mad [about] things that don’t exist. Santa, Dracula, mermaids”. Many people were baffled by the raucous that the far right was creating over something as miniscule as this. Diversity should spread and seep into every narrative if it is to become a permanent part of the public discourse. Select anti-diversity advocates should not stand in the way of a society making attempts to move past the stale age of hate. And this is not the first time that Target has faced such backlash. During Pride Month, the store’s staff members had to put up with extremely off-putting behaviour by customers who were disdainful of their Pride collection. It came to a point where employees were hesitant to show up at work due to safety issues. And this was in addition to their sales taking a hit.
For many this wave of hate is currently dampening the Christmas spirit. But more so than that, this is a reminder of how unsafe society is for people who do not conform to conventions. The backlash that Target is receiving is not an isolated event. It is just one link in a chain of such polarising reactions. And this strong and hurtful hate is not only limited to the online sphere, it makes its way out of the virtual world into the real world. And because of this, the dangers it can summon know no bounds.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)