Claim: E-mail criticizes Target Corporation's banning of the Salvation Army and sale of vibrators at its stores.
Example:[Collected via e-mail, 2005]
Target Corporation will continue to ban the Salvation Army from their 1,351 stores this Christmas season. The Army will not be allowed to place their red kettles in front of Target stores.
Despite increased need caused by the hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Target continues to bar the Salvation Army.
Many observers feel that the ban by Target is a result of pressure put on the company by homosexual groups. Homosexual activists have targeted the Salvation Army for years because of the Army's refusal to recognize their lifestyle. Target is a supporter of various homosexual causes.
While Target contributes to homosexual groups, the company publicly states that they will not contribute to any religious groups. For Target, homosexual organizations are worthy of financial support, Christian and Jewish organizations are not.
Further showing Target's true colors, WTOP Radio Network in Washington, DC, reports that Target is one of the national chains that will be carrying a new line of women's products that includes a vibrator.
Elexa by Trojan spokeswoman Cassandra Johnson says the products will be discreetly packaged and sold in the feminine care aisle.
Origins: The relationship between Target Corporation's retail stores and the Salvation Army is already covered on our "Sally Ann Ban" page. In short, Target has had a no-solicitation policy at its stores for several years; they previously had made an exception to that policy for the Salvation Army, but they discontinued the exception in 2004 because they "determined that if we continue to allow the Salvation Army to solicit, then it opens the door to other groups that wish to solicit our guests."
As for the claim about vibrators, a Target Media Relations spokesperson told us that although their retail stores carry select items from the new Trojan Elexa line, vibrators are not one of those items:
Target carries only select products from the Trojan Elexa line, including feminine health items and prophylactics, however, we do not carry the item in question. We strive to provide merchandise that appeals to our broad and diverse set of guests. Our buying department reviews every product we sell to assure we offer the right mix of merchandise. Of course, the final decision to purchase an item is up to the individual guest.
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