Conservatives Want to Boycott PetSmart Over Its Pride Month Collection

Jun. 1 2023, Published 3:50 p.m. ET

It’s officially Pride Month, and you already know what that implies: Conservatives are once once more up in palms about firms promoting LGBTQ+ celebratory merchandise.

After Target faced significant backlash from right-wing individuals surrounding its 2023 Pride collection, PetSmart is now the latest sufferer of a boycott.

The puppy superstore’s collection of “You Are Loved” products for Pride Month contains the whole lot from rainbow-striped plush toys to a highly-controversial dog bikini. And naturally, anti-gay social media customers have so much to mention about how the items actively contribute to society’s downfall.

Here’s what you need to grasp.

Conservatives are urging people to boycott PetSmart as a result of their Pride collection.

With Pride Month in full equipment, conservative backlash towards LGBTQ-marketed merchandise is already off the charts — in spite of quite a lot of companies’ inclusive intentions.

When PetSmart introduced its You Are Loved collection in May, the company published it donated $200,000 to GLSEN, an training group that “works to make sure that LGBTQ students are ready to learn and develop in a college setting free from bullying and harassment.”

PetSmart's senior vice president and leader vending officer, Kristin Shane, got candid about how the logo’s Pride collection would build up visibility for the queer community.

“PetSmart is proud to carry the voices and reports of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, from our pals and the pet parents we serve to contributors of the neighborhood and allies," Kristin explained in a statement, per Newsweek.

However, right-wing individuals seem to think that rainbow-patterned dog toys and apparel are offenses of the highest order.

On Twitter, self-proclaimed “conspiracy theorist” Liz Churchill posted a screenshot of two products from PetSmart’s You Are Loved collection and wrote, “From the ‘Pride Shop’ at PetSmart. ‘You are loved PRIDE Dog Dress and Bikini.’ This is unacceptable. Please boycott.”

PetSmart isn’t the only company facing a boycott over its Pride collection.

Unfortunately, the backlash against LGBTQ-affirming merchandise has grown increasingly common. In addition to Target and PetSmart, countless other major companies face boycotts from conservatives in the United States.

Self-described “proud hillbilly” and far-right vlogger Paul Ray Ramsey even went as far as to tweet, “Let’s reclaim the month of June,” while offering instructions on how to avoid businesses supporting the LGBTQ+ community at all costs.

Other companies facing boycotts over their Pride Month branding include Bud Light, Kohl’s, and The North Face.

Since Bud Light named trans influencer and TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney as their spokesperson in March 2023, sales have continuously plummeted for the brand leading up to Pride Month. According to Newsweek, the company’s sales had dropped 29.5 percent as of May 30, 2023.

After taking a break from TikTok during the Bud Light controversy, Dylan took to the vertical video app on April 27 to share her thoughts. “What I’m struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and be cruel,” Dylan stated. “I just don’t assume that’s appropriate”

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