Target has donated $2.1 million to an LGBTQ advocacy group that has been pressuring school districts not to tell parents if their children identify as a different gender, according to an online report from Fox News Digital.
The retail giant, which has been the subject of widespread boycott calls in the wake of protests over its “PRIDE” collection, has teamed up with the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a teachers’ group founded in 1990 with the goal of “providing creating affirming learning environments for LGBTQ youth.”
GLSEN has also opposed efforts by lawmakers to ban LGBTQ books with sexually explicit themes.
“GLSEN is leading the movement in creating affirming… and anti-racist spaces for LGBTQIA+ students. We are proud of more than 10 years of partnership with GLSEN and continue to support their mission,” said Target.
“Target and GLSEN share a belief that all children deserve the opportunity to learn and thrive in a safe environment,” said Laysha Ward, Target’s executive vice president and chief corporate social responsibility officer.
“The voices and stories of the students and teachers in this documentary show how far we have come as a nation and give us hope that all students can reach their full potential and be proud of who they are.”
GLSEN is one of several organizations that has urged states and school districts not to notify parents when students decide to “change their gender socially.”
School leaders told the Washington Post there is no need to notify parents to avoid letting children who could be in danger at home.
A controversial practice used by some schools in at least 18 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico is for teachers to use new trans names for children in the classroom, but then revert to the original “dead” names when they interact with parents talk.
The secrecy surrounding the sex of children has led to several lawsuits in states such as Massachusetts, Florida, Wisconsin, Kansas, Virginia and Maryland.
GLSEN has also urged teachers to intervene if children draw graphic images or images featuring sex, to ensure they are in line with gender ideology.
“If students are creating their own surveys and they want to include biological sex data, educators need to be sure to include both intersex and other as choices,” GLSEN wrote in a blog post titled “How do we make math lessons more inclusive?” of trans and non-binary identities.”
“[A]And if students want to include data for gender, a variety of choices should be included, such as agender, genderfluid, female, male, non-binary, trans male, trans female, and others.”
The Post has sought comment from Target and GLSEN.
Target said Tuesday it was removing some items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise across the country ahead of Pride month after intense backlash from some customers who confronted employees and tore up displays.
“Since the introduction of this year’s collection, we have faced threats that affect our team members’ sense of safety and well-being at work,” Target said in a statement Tuesday.
Target has lost more than $9 billion in market value since angry social media users called for a boycott of the Minneapolis-based retailer over its rollout of its “PRIDE” collection of LGBTQ-friendly clothing for kids.
