ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A woman says an Albuquerque Target refused to sell her a pride shirt for her granddaughter, even though it was out on display. Jessica Corley headed to Target in Uptown to buy shirts for her family to wear to Albuquerque’s Pride Parade. She found matching shirts for herself and her three-year-old granddaughter that said “Bien Proud.” When she got up to the register, the kids’ shirt wouldn’t ring up.
“She called the manager, the manager came over, and he scanned the item. The same message came up: ‘Do not sell.’ And he said I’m sorry, I can’t sell this to you,” Corley said.
Target has come under fire nationwide after they put up displays selling pride merchandise, including clothing for children. Many stores say they pulled the merchandise after customers against it became unruly and violent toward other customers.
“When I got to the car, I noticed myself shaking and burst into tears because I was incredulous,” Corley said. She says the store manager told her Target corporate had been pulling pride items from stores in the south. She says she doesn’t understand why they were pulling the items from stores in Albuquerque. “It was just an astounding experience and not one that I would expect to be coming from our community.”
Target has issued a statement on its website. In states on a national scale, it plans to remove items that are at the center of the confrontational behaviors. But it is still committed to the LGBTIQ+ community. Corley says that the message is falling flat.
“It’s about, you know, my right to purchase an item of clothing for myself or my loved ones that has a message that I believe in, which is to be proud of myself and to be proud of who I am and to spread that message of inclusivity,” Corley said
KRQE did reach out to Target at Uptown to ask why the merchandise was still on the sales floor when it was not supposed to be sold. They would not answer our questions and referred us to corporate. We reached out to corporate multiple times and have not heard back.
