Target Stocks Continue to Plummet Despite Cutting Ties with Satanist Designer
Unlike Anheuser-Busch CEO Robert Lachky — who called the Dylan Mulvaney partnership “insane,” — Target CEO Brian Cornell’s marketing tactic has been abundantly clear from the start: to normalize an LGBT presence in his retail giant. In fact, Cornell paved the way for corporate LGBT activism by introducing all-gender bathrooms and fitting rooms at Target, ultimately opening the door for other corporations to do the same.
Even amidst the Bud Light fallout, Cornell stayed true to his marketing plan in preparation for June, designated “Pride Month.” The big boss seemed “determined to send shoppers running for the exits for good with a Pride line that, among other things, helps boys hide their parts with ‘tuck-friendly’ swimwear that boasts ‘extra crotch coverage.’” Additionally, Target partnered with Abprallen, a London brand that “sells an array of items modeled after the Satanist figure Baphomet.”
The designer of Abprallen, Erik Carnell, identifies as gay and transgender and has been an assiduous activist in the LGBT movement over the years. After leaving her management position at Starbucks to launch an art and accessory brand, Target was reportedly reached out to her for a partnership. The corporation originally included three Abprallen products to sell — a sweatshirt with the words, “Cure Transphobia Not Trans People,” a tote bag that said, “Too Queer for Here,” and a messenger bag portraying the message, “We Belong Anywhere.”
Carnell expressed her excitement through social media by saying, “I’m especially happy at the thought that young closeted people will see it.”
Although Target did not directly sell the apparel of the Satanist figure Baphomet from Abprallen, many Americans were alarmed that the corporation would even partner with such a designer. Carnell explicitly presented her views of Satan through a social media post prior to her partnership with Target and had posted a picture of the Baphomet pin which read “Satan respects pronouns.”
Her caption further explained the design. “Satan loves you and respects who you are; you’re important and valuable in this world and you deserve to treat yourself with love and respect. LGBT+ people are so often referred to as being a product of Satan or going against God’s will, so fine. We’ll hang with Satan instead.” Carnell continued to explain that “Satanists don’t actually believe in Satan,” but use him as a symbol of “passion, pride, and liberty.” She concluded that her design was a way to advocate for the LGBT community, as satanic figures “reject binary stereotypes and expectations.”
“Satan's priority has always been to convince people that they are in charge of themselves,” Joseph Backholm, senior fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at Family Research Counci,l said in response to Carnell’s viral post. “This designer may deny belief in Satan, but she is working on his behalf nonetheless, even if unintentionally.”
As conservative media outlets jumped into action exposing the pride merchandise found in the children section, Target quickly severed ties with Abprallen.
“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and wellbeing while at work,” Target said in a statement. “Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”
Even though Target ended their partnership with Abprallen, conservative leaders, shoppers, and influencers continued to ring the alarm.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) caught wind of Target’s partnership with Abprallen and responded in a tweet, saying, “Even by the standards of woke corporations, Target’s partnership with a satanist to push the trans agenda on children is remarkable.”
Others blatantly encouraged citizens to boycott the company altogether.
“I can’t say I’m a huge boycotter type of person, but I’m in to boycott Target,” pro-life advocate and speaker Abby Johnson wrote in an Instagram post. “They have been pushing this perversion on our children for far too long.”
Johnson’s call to boycott was met with an active response from Americans. In just 10 days, Target was reported to have lost close to $10 billion as their stock value took a plunge. Two weeks ago, Target’s stock value was recorded as $160.96 a share, but on Friday the number dropped to $138.93.
“The plunge in sales seems to indicate that Americans do have some boundaries,” Backholm said. “The public seems to be generally indifferent to what adults do, seeing it as an issue of liberty even when it is socially destructive. But what middle America is clearly not interested in is those who target their children in what is effectively evangelistic effort on behalf of the sexual revolution.”
