Is Target’s Pride collection sashaying away, as drag queen RuPaul would say, and a red, white and blue “America First” collection taking its place?
No, but some on social media are cheering it that way anyway.
“Target OPTS OUT of Pride month & replaced its Pride collection with an America First Summer display,” former West Virginia House of Delegates member Derrick Evans wrote June 2 on X, calling it “breaking news.” His post included a photo of red, white and blue and USA-themed products. Evans, a Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack participantreceived 1.3 million views on his post within four days.
The activist group “Gays Against Groomers” posted a similar sentiment — a graphic comparing Target’s previous Pride displays with this year’s Fourth of July-themed collection. “This year, the rainbow racks are gone, and in their place are red, white, and blue. Patriotism. Family. Sanity,” the June 3 post said.
But it’s not all star-spangled; these posts are misleading.
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Target is selling a Pride collection this year, which includes adult apparel, homeware and food and beverage items. It’s available online, in the Target app and in some stores, a Target spokesperson told PolitiFact in an email.
June is Pride Month, the annual celebration of LGBTQ+ rights and culture that coincides with the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprisinga six-day conflict that followed violent police raids on a New York City gay bar. Many communities mark Pride Month with parades and other awareness-raising activities, while in recent years businesses including Target have seen it as a marketing opportunity.
The retail giant has long sold products that reflect both Pride and the Fourth of July, and a Target spokesperson said that hasn’t changed in 2025.
On Target’s website, its Fourth of July merchandise is found below the tagline “Get ready to celebrate with red, white & blue fun for everyone.” None of the products feature “America First” messages, a slogan President Donald Trump adopted to describe his foreign policy approach.
Similarly, Target’s “Coastal summer style” line includes products with “USA” and “American Summer” text in red-white-and-blue designs. We were unable to verify whether these collections are available in all stores.
Some observers found this season’s Pride line to be muted and less prominently displayed compared with past years.
The complaints follow criticism and boycott calls after Target rolled back its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives following Trump’s elections on an anti-DEI platform.
Target is no stranger to having a fire-engine red bullseye on its back. It altered its approach to Pride sales following public backlash to its prior collections.
In 2023, conservatives called for Target’s boycott over its Pride collection swimwear promoting “extra crotch coverage.” Some falsely said the suits were made for kids, but they were available only in adult sizes.
That year, Target removed certain items of its Pride collection citing safety “threats” to employees.
Target sold its 2024 Pride collection only in stores where “historical sales performance” showed market demand, a press release said. The full collection was available online.
This year’s marketing strategy appears similar.
“Brands are sophisticated actors, and they follow market trends very closely,” Northeastern University marketing professor Amir Grinstein said.
Our ruling
X posts said Target “opts out of Pride month and replaced its Pride collection with America First Summer display.”
Target’s Pride collection is not sold in all 2,000 stores, but it hasn’t ended or been replaced with patriotic-themed products. Target’s full Pride collection is for sale online and through its app.
We rate this claim False.
