Target gets booted from Twin Cities Pride festival after rolling back DEI efforts

Twin Cities Pride, Minnesota’s second largest festival, is removing Target from its June LGBTQ+ celebration.

Andi Otto, Twin Cities Pride executive director, says the decision was made after the Minneapolis-based retailer announced on Friday it was dropping its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

The Minneapolis-based retailer said the changes to its “Belonging at the Bulleye” strategy would include ending a program it established to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and promote Black-owned businesses following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.

“The community is just very disappointed that someone like Target, who has been a staple in our corner for so many years, has made this decision and not made the decision to stand up against those who are fighting against us,” Otto said.

Target’s DEI announcement came shortly after President Donald Trump declared he would end federal DEI initiatives. Target operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people.

Otto said he had reached out to Target executives about their involvement in Twin Cities Pride in June and was told they wanted to continue being a sponsor for the nonprofit’s events.

“But unfortunately, in the current climate that we are having to live in as a community, I made the decision that it would not be in the best interest of our community to have Target’s presence at Pride or the parade this year,” he said.

Target has been a Twin Cities Pride partner for about 18 years. Last year, the corporation donated about $50,000 to the festival and had the biggest display, Otto said.

“Will it be noticeable that they're gone?” Otto said. “Yeah, I think Target's always been a staple at Twin Cities Pride and showed their support. Will it affect us financially? [We’ll] take a hit for that,” said Otto.

Despite that, Otto said it’s more important to send a message “that we have to continue to stand up for what is right.” Otto says he’ll look for contributions from other companies and foundations to replace the money Target contributed.

As of Sunday evening, Target did not respond to a request for comment.