Give This Hero Target Employee A Whopping Raise And Reserved Parking Please

The rightwing terrorists who have been targeting Target stores because they carry Pride-themed items haven’t been the least bit calmed by the company’s stupid decision to give in to the hate. As Evan noted yesterday, the decision to move Pride collections to the back of stores and in some cases remove the merch all together has not slowed the bigots down in the slightest.

Previously:

Wingnuts Having A Good Old-Fashioned Satanic Panic About … Target

Target Gives The Terrorists What They Want

Take this White Power fascist mustache-abuser Ethan Schmidt (please!), who has garnered a measure of infamy for going into Target stores to record himself accosting customers and staff about the store’s “Satanic” LGBTQ+ themed clothes.

He got his start as an anti-masker (and in March was convicted of trespassing at an Arizona wig store in a 2021incident), but has moved on to anti-LGBTQ+ hatred since that’s where the clicks and the money are. He’s widely mocked online for dumb stunts like very daintily stepping on a Target “pride” sign like a big tough guy. In the instance below, he was praised by performative outrage guru Matt Walsh for his performative outrage.

So sure, he’s ridiculous, but Schmidt also threatened last year to “hunt” LGBTQ supporters in the Phoenix area, saying that companies selling Pride merchandise “are not safe” and that they “can’t hide.” Nice fella.

So now we get to the nice time: A pair of Target employees who confront Schmidt with absolute, firm calm and make clear they aren’t scared of him, and that he can’t go harassing shoppers. Whoever the woman is, her attitude of studied boredom is perfect — Schmidt wants to know if she supports the “Satanic Pride propaganda,” and she calmly replies yes, “Satan and Pride.” But what will God think of that, Schmidt wants to know. Again, perfectly calm: “I don’t believe in God. Do you need help with something?” Then she and the other employee, a plainclothes “loss prevention” guy, help him find the exit. No fucks given for the shouty man.

Schmidt calls them “open Satanists,” and the woman just shrugs. She may as well be a mellower real-world manifestation of Ursula, the rude waitress played by Lisa Kudrow in “Mad About You.” (Yes, Phoebe’s twin sister.)

Also too, a Best Supporting Performance medal for the couple at the end who cheerfully reply “Yep!” when Schmidt asks if they support the propaganda.

Americans don’t want these fascist haters running things. We all need to make that clear, especially those of “us” in the executive suites.

So Target execs: Please acquire the steeliness of a pretty awesome retail worker and tell these creeps you won’t be bullied, and that Pride isn’t just a marketing strategy, but a commitment to the LGBTQ community. Have a top executive briefly show the video in an ad and announce that Target really does stand up to bigotry. And somebody give her all the money, please.

[New Times / Arizona Republic]

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