Despite stocking a line of wedding
cards for gay couples and using a gay male couple in a wedding
registry ad, Minnesota-based retailer Target has denied that it is
taking sides on a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution
which would define marriage as a heterosexual union.
Last week, Target released an ad
featuring an image of a gay male couple clasping hands under the
headline: “Be Yourself, Together.”
“Build a Target Wedding Gift Registry
as unique as the two of you,” the ad's byline states. The caption
“That's Love” appears in bold italics in the upper left hand
corner of the ad.
Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder would
only say in a statement that the company encourages employees to
exercise their right to vote.
“We recognize that there is a broad
range of strongly held views on the MN Marriage amendment,” Snyder
said. “Consistent with our longstanding support of civic
engagement, we strongly encourage our team members to exercise their
right to vote in November.”
“The Target Wedding Registry
advertisement campaign is designed to reach all guests and represent
the diversity of communities we serve. At the heart of our company
are core values which include Target's long-standing commitment to
create an environment where all of our team members and guests feel
welcome, valued and respected. We believe our current marketing is
consistent with this value,” she
added.
(Related: Target
selling wedding cards for gay couples.)