Target sued by investor over backlash to Pride merchandise

The controversy began when Target decided to sell over 2,000 products as part of its Pride collection, which included items from the Abprallen brand, owned by London-based transgender designer Erik Carnell.

However, the retailer faced intense backlash from some customers and conservative groups, leading to confrontations between shoppers and employees, and incidents of Pride merchandise being thrown on the floor. In response to this backlash, Target decided to pull some items from its Pride collection both in-store and online.

The lawsuit alleges that Target’s board misrepresented its oversight of “social and political risks” to the company. It argues that the board focused on the wishes of progressive activist investors and failed to account for potential backlash from customers.

According to AFL, Target gave investors information that led them to assume it was assessing political and social risks when it was not. The backlash against Target’s Pride collection and the subsequent removal of some items resulted in a significant financial loss for the company…