Is the TARGET Corporation really evolving?  Or has it just finally figured out that marketing to the LGBT community  is lucrative and holds very little of the perceived risks of loss of business that the religious rights claims it would if their few followers boycotted them?

Because now almost two years after Target drew a backlash for a $150,000 donation it made to a group backing Tom Emmer, the Republican gubernatorial candidate who opposed gay marriage.  Not only is TARGET selling gay pride tee shirts (abiet only online) but  they have begun to carrying greeting cards celebrating same-sex marriage in stores throughout the country.

The cards made by Carlton Cards, a unit of American Greetings are placed on card racks under the headings of “For two special men“ and “For two special women,” and  are adorned with phrases such as “Mr. & Mr.” and “Two very special women, one very special love.”

Akshay Rao, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota states that “All the actions Target has taken since the MN Forward kerfuffle have been friendly to the gay community, and this is one more in those long line of steps.” From a purely business standpoint, adding the cards is “a perfectly logical thing to do,” Rao said.

Bob Witeck, CEO of  Witeck Communications which specializes in market research and the LGBT community research indicates that the purchasing power of the country’s LGBT population this year is $790 billion, or roughly $49,000 per adult.

TARGET Corp which is still feeling the effects of a boycott by the LGBT community after its donation to MN Forward the GOP political PAC backing anti-gay Tom Emmer  is now being boycotted by anti-gay organizations such as the SLPC hate groups the American Family Association and the Family Research Council for their recent decisions to stock LGBT specific merchandise.

Minnesotans for Marriage, a group opposing same-sex marriage in MN has also denounced TARGET for its LGBT support, and when asked about the greeting cards, spokesman Chuck Darrell said in “people can love whoever they want, however they don’t have a right to force same-sex marriage on all of society.” 

Is TARGET finally realizing that the LGBT Community is a powerful buying force and trying to make amends?   And should those of us who are still boycotting TARGET start shopping there again?

Well in the end thats a personal decision that only you can make.

But it does seems that TARGET is trying.  (And I have to admit I do sorely miss their Archer Farms Peanut Butter Cookies.)