Are you looking forward to another inundation of rainbow flags this year? If so, you’re in league with Walmart. The retail giant has just introduced its recent array of LGBTQ-themed attire to mark the upcoming pride month. Their enthusiasm for this new line hasn’t been well-received by some social media users, who are vocally expressing disappointment over the ever-present surge of politically correct emblems.
To announce the clothing launch, Walmart shared a video on Instagram, featuring LGBTQ individuals gathered for what looked like a photo session. One participant announced, “Queer people have magic that we can share.” The ensuing footage gave viewers a sneak peek at the products on offer, which included a tote bag printed with “totes gay.”
Some participants openly expressed their thrill to be involved. We heard them say, “We’re lucky enough to be in the Walmart Pride collection this year” and gleefully describe it as a “dream come true”. Other items teased during the ad included a “born this gay” T-shirt, a rainbow-themed throw blanket, and a notebook carrying skeletons regurgitating rainbows and the phrase “beyond gender”.
One participant reminded that, “The world needs to hear what you have to say and your story.” The video, intriguingly, now commands more than 62,000 views.
As it turns out, this year Walmart has partnered with six LGBTQ designers for the Pride 2024 collection. Notable among those offerings is a card proclaiming “I love my 2 moms,” vibrant rainbow merchandise that looks childishly designed, and a mug that amusingly turns every weekday into a pun on “gay.”
The overall reaction to Walmart’s ad on social media platforms X was blunt and critical. Users freely pointed fingers at the corporation for promoting what they perceive as a social agenda. As one commenter described it, “Walmart apparently didn’t learn a lesson from Target. We’re tired of the propaganda being forced upon our kids from all directions!”
The comment section was laced with remarks like “Walmart is disgusting” and “another reason why I don’t shop there anymore.”
Interestingly, the launch has been timed when Target is evidently reining in their LGBTQ-focused products because of poor market response. But it seems Walmart is fully ready to bear the risk of the “get woke, go broke” backlash. Their constant determination to tread a political path that the ‘silent majority’ isn’t onboard with, coupled with the refusal to learn from their competitors’ miscalculations, only goes on to show their disconnection with a vast portion of America’s shopping public.
Bottom line? Walmart appears ready to wade into controversial waters again with their Pride collection. But if the initial response is anything to go by, they may well rethink how they plan their future strategies. Time will tell if they’ve truly gauged the pulse of their customer base or merely acted on wishful thinking. Only America’s wallets can definitively vote ‘yea’ or ‘nay’.
