Pride Month 2025 has officially begun, and while we believe in supporting small, queer-owned, and local businesses whenever possible, we still have to check in with our nationwide retailers and see what this year’s Pride collections look like. We all know that major corporations have cowered and pulled their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) support for fear of backlash from the Trump administration. This has impacted Pride organizations and celebrations around the country.
Target has famously taken a major financial hit as DEI allies boycott the chain. The retailer has seen a $12.4 billion loss in market value in the first quarter of 2025, and executives have acknowledged that the boycott has contributed to this loss. In spite of “months of declining consumer confidence,” Target has not reinstated any of its DEI initiatives. Better yet? Last week they released their Pride Collections, and oh boy, the internet is having fun. At this point you gotta wonder, why would any queer people actually purchase an item from the Target Pride Collection?
Instagram personality Connor Clary posts his hilarious Pride Collection reviews to Instagram, and this year we’re giving him 6 out of 5 stars. His Target coverage includes a Spill the Tea cocktail napkin and drinkware set, oatmeal-colored hoodie and slides, and Proud Pup pet toys. Of the oatmeal hoodie, he has this to say: “Target is breaking barriers again and again … if you look really close at the string here it does say Out Loud and Proud. Girl, are you sure? It’s feeling a little bit more like a whisper this year. 1 out of 5 stars.”
Nearly everything in the collection is labeled for adults, and includes rainbow clothing and accessories, sporting messages like “Born to Shine” and “Authentically Me.” Ok, Target. Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not always great at boycotting the big-box stores that don’t support my family, but I’m proud to say I haven’t made a Target purchase in many, many months.
While their website does have a link to merch from LGBTQIA+-owned brands like the Phluid Project, I suggest purchasing from these brands directly.
If you’re mindlessly scrolling, I do suggest checking out all of Connor Clary’s Pride Collection reviews, including Converse, Levi’s, Hollister, and JCPenney.
Walmart’s online Pride collection is quite similar to Target’s, with plush dog toys, rainbow folding fans, Elton John merchandise and a set of rainbow Cuisinart kitchen knives. Like Target, they have a tab for “LGBTQIA+ founded brands,” but again, we suggest you make your purchases directly from your favorite brands.
SIn a post on rainbow capitalism, More Perfect Union explains that it is “particularly problematic when performative support comes from companies that don’t speak up for the queer community – or worse, they directly support anti-LGBTQ legislation and politicians.” The example they give is a past post from AT&T claiming support for Pride and The Trevor Project. In reality, “an investigation by Popular Information found that AT&T has donated more than $1.3 million to anti-LGBTQ lawmakers since 2022.”
It doesn’t feel good to support the brands that don’t support us, but a conversation I’ve had with so many queer friends lately is one in which we wonder: Where are we supposed to buy basic necessities? Show me where to buy the affordable queer toilet paper, kids’ snacks, and laundry detergent and I will happily forego my usual errands.
If you’re still on the lookout for major retailers that are “safe” for the queer community, here are a few of my favorites:
Ikea
The Swedish chain has a longstanding history of advocacy and inclusivity. This year they are donating 100% of the advertised price for every STORSTOMMA rainbow bag sold online and in-store until 6/30/25 to The Trevor Project. I’m gonna be honest, my giant rainbow bag gets a lot of use.
Costco
The store where you walk in for a cheap hot dog and diapers and leave with a year’s supply of snacks $650 later has a history of strong ratings on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI). This year the chain has famously continued their commitment to their DEI policies.
Trader Joe’s
Glassdoor reports a high DEI rating, and I’m forever enamored by their cheese section.
Hey there. Laura Leigh here. I’m a wife, writer, mama, small business owner, podcast host, and the Head of Content here at Pink Robin.
I love supporting the queer community and bringing shared experiences to life.
If you have a story to tell, I’m here for it.
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I remember when my wife and I first became moms, I knew that our ability to “pass” was behind us. I was never going to pretend that my wife and family were something other than exactly who they were. It was freeing to know that I had to live my queer life out loud, that I would forever be myself in every space, all the time.
In a 2023 CNN article Daniel Korschun, associate professor of marketing at Drexel University explained that when it comes to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, executives “are becoming much more skittish about taking these stands and making strong statements.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Poll, roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults say there is at least some discrimination against transgender people in our society. Because trans rights have become such a contentious issue across the country, companies that used to view supporting pride as “low stakes” have become less likely to support the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. “The pendulum is swinging a bit back … toward a more conservative approach, where they’ll be less vocal,” says Korschun. According to a recent NBC News article, Target stores will only sell pride merchandise in select locations this year. The retailer will not have Pride collections in about half of their locations. Additionally, they will only sell pride merchandise for adults.
An argument that Target has made in the past and is now using again is that this decision protects their LGBTQ+ employees, but let’s be clear: Conditional allyship is not support. Pulling queer merchandise from their shelves and essentially pretending that we don’t exist–and ignoring those of us who have children that want to celebrate pride with us–is detrimental to our community. Erasure threatens our safety. This weekend my mom told me that she’s done with Target. Like her, I can’t say I feel good about spending my money in a place that doesn’t value my family. As of today, the ACLU is currently tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. We exist, and abandoning us only endangers us.
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