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Tag: lgbtq inclusion (contextual)

  • X took two days to suspend account of suspect in Pride flag killing | CNN Business

    X took two days to suspend account of suspect in Pride flag killing | CNN Business

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    CNN
     — 

    X has suspended an account that posted numerous anti-gay and antisemitic posts and was used by the man accused of killing store owner Lauri Carleton over her display of a Pride Flag.

    But the account had remained live two days after law enforcement publicly confirmed its existence on the platform formerly known as Twitter. The social media company finally suspended the account Wednesday evening.

    Alejandra Caraballo with the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard Law School posted on X Wednesday that she reported the account’s content, but received a reply from the company indicating: “After reviewing the available information, we want to let you know [the account] hasn’t broken our safety policies.”

    As CNN reported, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office said on Monday that the suspected killer — who himself was shot and killed in a gun fight with police — used X, as well as Gab, a platform popular among far-right extremists.

    The X account used by the suspect contained a pinned tweet with an image of a Pride Flag set on fire. The account also contained other anti-LGBTQ and anti-Semitic material, as well as posts referring to police as using “sociopathic schemes.”

    A request for comment to X regarding why the account remained active generated an auto-reply from the company indicating: “We’ll get back to you soon.” Approximately 30 minutes after CNN’s query, the account was suspended. Under past leadership, X was typically quick to suspend accounts associated with violence.

    It was not clear if the suspension of the account was a result of CNN’s query.

    Elon Musk, who owns X, laid off about 80% of the company’s staff over the past year, including a large number of employees who had worked in the company’s compliance department.

    —CNN’s Michelle Toh and Juliana Liu contributed to this report

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  • Pride Month backlash hurt Target’s sales. They fell for the first time in six years | CNN Business

    Pride Month backlash hurt Target’s sales. They fell for the first time in six years | CNN Business

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    New York
    CNN
     — 

    Target’s quarterly sales fell for the first time in six years as consumers pulled back on discretionary goods and fierce right-wing backlash to Target’s Pride Month collection took a toll on the brand.

    Target’s sales at stores open for at least one year dropped 5.4% last quarter, including a 10.5% drop online. The company also cut its annual sales forecast.

    Target’s foot traffic dropped 4.8% last quarter, “likely a function of a mix that skews too discretionary, as well as the Pride merchandise issues,” Michael Baker, an analyst at DA Davidson, said in a note to clients.

    Still, Target’s profit came in higher than Wall Street’s expectations, and the stock rose 5% during early trading Wednesday. Heading into Wednesday, Target’s stock dropped 27% over the past year.

    Target was one of the strongest-performing retailers during the pandemic as consumers flocked to stores and its website while stuck at home. But Target has slipped as consumers change their spending patterns.

    Americans are spending more on experiences, including concerts and movies, and less on nonessential items. Home Depot

    (HD)     said Tuesday that consumers took on fewer major home renovation projects.

    Target

    (TGT)     is over-exposed to non-essential merchandise compared to competitors such as Walmart

    (WMT)     and Costco

    (COST)    . More than half of Target

    (TGT)    ’s merchandise is discretionary – clothing, home decor, electronics, toys, party supplies and other non-essentials. The company in recent years has added more food and essentials to its stores.

    “Consumers are choosing to increase spending on services like leisure, travel, entertainment and food away from home, putting near-term pressure on discretionary products,” CEO Brian Cornell said on a call with analysts Wednesday.

    Cornell said that store theft and safety have also become bigger concerns.

    “Safety incidents associated with [theft] are moving in the wrong direction,” Cornell said. “During the first 5 months of this year, our stores saw a 120% increase in theft incidents involving violence or threats of violence.”

    Target has been embroiled in the political culture wars over gender and sexual orientation.

    Beginning in May, Target also faced a homophobic campaign that went viral on social media over its annual Pride Month clothing collection. Fueled by far-right personalities, the anti-LGBTQ campaign spread misleading information about the Pride Month products.

    The campaign became hostile, with violent threats levied against Target employees and instances of damaged products and displays in stores. Target said on May 24 that it was removing certain items that caused the most “volatile” reaction from opponents to protect its workers’ safety.

    But Target’s response frustrated supporters of gay and transgender rights, who said the company caved to bigoted pressure.

    “The strong reaction to this year’s Pride assortment” impacted sales during the quarter, Christina Hennington, Target’s chief growth officer, said Wednesday.

    Target will adjust its Pride Month collection next year, including potential changes to timing, placement in stores and the mix of brands it sells.

    “The reaction is a signal for us to pause, adapt and learn,” she said.

    Other brands, such as Bud Light, have faced right-wing backlash over attempts to be more inclusive.

    America’s former top-selling beer has targeted by right-wing media and anti-trans commentators since April, after sponsoring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

    The controversy cost Bud Light’s parent company about $395 million in lost US sales and Bud Light lost its top beer spot to Modelo.

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  • Pride flags vandalized at Stonewall National Monument in New York | CNN

    Pride flags vandalized at Stonewall National Monument in New York | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    The New York Police Department is investigating “a criminal mischief pattern” of vandalism against Pride and transgender flags at the Stonewall National Monument during Pride month, it said in a statement.

    The police department said its Hate Crime Task Force is investigating three incidents, which occurred June 10, June 15 and June 20.

    According to police, individual or individuals were seen removing Pride flags that were displayed on the fence of the monument. In two of the incidents, the flags were also broken, the statement said.

    There were no injuries as a result of the alleged crimes, and it’s not clear from the statement released Monday if the same person or people were involved.

    Earlier this month, the NYPD tweeted a photo of individuals it said were “wanted for criminal mischief” in connection to the June 10 incident and asked for public assistance.

    President Barack Obama in 2016 designated the area around the Stonewall Inn, the site of the 1969 Stonewall uprising, as the country’s first national monument to honor the LGBTQ+ community.

    The uprising occurred when a police raid of the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, turned violent after patrons fought back. The incident led to the first march for gay and lesbian rights.

    The Stonewall National Monument includes Christopher Park, the Stonewall Inn and the surrounding streets and sidewalks where the uprising occurred.

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