Christine Horner, copy editor

The organizers behind Twin Cities Pride (TCP) have removed Target as a sponsor after the company announced that it would roll back its DEI initiatives. According to Mariyam Muhammad of The Columbus Dispatch, “DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. It refers to programs that ensure people from different backgrounds, cultures, identities, and experiences feel accepted in their environments, whether at school, work or other organizations.” Pres. Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to remove DEI programs in government, but American companies may choose to keep their DEI initiatives.

Target’s decision to turn back DEI and TCP’s rejection of Target’s sponsorship are not unrelated. Andi Otto, director of TCP, told The Advocate that Target executives notified him of their decision prior to making it public. Otto claimed that Target still offered them their $50,000 sponsorship, but Otto and TCP’s allies believe that the company’s decision was a “betrayal” to their community, and that removing Target’s presence at TCP was “the right thing to do.”

Both individuals and organizations within the Minneapolis community stepped forward to fill the $50,000 gap Target left behind. The Advocate also stated that not only did TCP make the money back, but they raised more. Individual donors raised over $78,000 for TCP in less than 24 hours, and grants and sponsorships pushed their funding over $100,000. Some of the organizations that donated include local Twin Cities grocery co-ops. Bring Me The News stated that these co-ops include Eastside, Lakewinds, Mississippi Market, Seward, Valley Natural and Wedge. Together, they pledged $28,700 to the TCP safety fund, which they plan to deliver within a week.

These local organizations aren’t the only community members to weigh in on this turn of events. Tristan Crowell, program manager of Augsburg’s LGBTQIA+ student services, provided his thoughts on TCP’s rejection of Target’s sponsorship in an interview with the Echo, “I stand behind Twin Cities Pride’s decision to drop Target’s sponsorship following their decision to roll back DEI initiatives. The potential impacts of these and similar actions by other corporations that seek to profit off of marginalized communities are far reaching and insidious. DEI initiatives hold these corporations accountable to practices that mitigate the exploitation of employees who hold historically marginalized identities. I encourage folks to engage in collective action by participating in boycotts as individuals if they are able.”

Andi Otto and TCP hope that this decision does not mean the end of their relationship with Target. Otto told The Advocate that he is still in conversation with the corporation, but will hold off on involving the company with TCP until it proves its allyship.