Erik Carnell says he believes Target pulled his work after "false accusations" that he was a Satanist.
Trans designer Erik Carnell feels he was “dealt the worst hand” by Target after the retail giant pulled his products amid the anti-LGBTQ+ backlash against its Pride collection.
The U.K.-based designer was caught up in the Target TGT furor after the retailer began selling three products from his brand, Abprallen. Carnell, targeted amid right-wing backlash against Pride-related items, says that Target pulled his products from its website and stores. Some social-media users had accused Carnell of promoting Satanism over a handful of items in the broader Abprallen collection referencing Satan, such as a pin emblazoned with the phrase “Satan respects pronouns” — a message that Carnell has said is tongue-in-cheek. None of the Abprallen designs sold by Target referenced Satan, and Carnell was not involved in the design of adult “tuck-friendly” swimsuits at Target that have also sparked a backlash against the company.
Target has been offering a range of Pride-related products leading up to June’s Pride Month. However, the chain has removed some LGBTQ-themed products and hidden Pride Month displays in certain Southern locations following online complaints and in-store confrontations that the company says placed employees at risk, the Associated Press reports.
On Sunday, Carnell posted on Instagram that he had made an iron-on patch of his “Satan respects pronouns” design. “I couldn’t tell you the amount of news articles, TikToks, YouTube videos, tweets, opinion pieces, hate mail, and drama that this design has generated,” he wrote. “I mean, it totally destroyed my opportunity with Target despite it having nothing to do with them.”
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