Target Revises Donation Policies in Wake of Contribution to Anti-Gay Group

Target's donation last year to anti-gay political group Minnesota Forward created a buzz of negative publicity and generated threats of boycott. The $150,000 contribution was funneled to anti-gay Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, sparking the outcry.

The corporation has now revised its policies around political donations, according to a Feb. 17 story at the Washington Blade.

A spokesperson said that after an internal review, Target has created a new committee to oversee political giving. Moreover, the spokesperson hinted that the new policies stemmed directly from last year's experience: "These changes are really reflective of that perspective that we gained over the 2010 election cycle," said Jessica Carlson.

A source informed the Blade that Target had worked with "LGBT rights advocates" in designing its new policies.

Carlson noted that Target has enjoyed "a long history" of supporting the GLBT community, a claim also made by the company's CEO, Gregg Steinhafel. The Human Rights Campaign has in the past awarded Target a 100% rating in its "Buying for Equality" shopping guide, and the company has honed a GLBT-friendly image.

But that image may have been part of the reason gay and GLBT-supportive shoppers reacted with such anger, blogger Barbara Farfan wrote at About.com on Aug. 24, 2010.

Bloggers defended Target on the grounds of its past track record of supporting GLBT causes. But other commentators found evidence of another, anti-gay track record: Midweek Politics radio host David Pakman reported that it did not seem to be the case--as Target spun the story--that the donation to MN Forward was a matter of funding politicians who are business-friendly (and who only incidentally happen to be anti-gay). Pakman pointed out on his program that Steinhafel has given money to other right-wing politicians, including Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, and has ties to anti-gay group Focus on the Family.

Moreover, Pakman noted, "On Proposition 8, Target did donate to both sides [so as] to appear to be unbiased, but they gave almost five times as much to oppose marriage equality than to support it."

Pakman continued, "Steinhafel sent his daughter to Wheaton College, a Christian institution where being gay will get you expelled. And also, the younger Steinhafel was a student at Focus on the Family Institute... I think if you believe Target [made its contribution to Emmer] because of economic growth, you are vastly mistaken."

Last August, Steinhafel issued an apology to the GLBT community in which he wrote, "While I firmly believe that a business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future, I realize our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry."

The apology went on to say, "The diversity of our team is an important aspect of our unique culture and our success as a company, and we did not mean to disappoint you, our team or our valued guests."

Carlson noted that Target had been a supporter of Twin Cities Pride in Minnesota, and announced that the company would be lending its support to Pride in Chicago and in San Francisco, the Blade article said.