Fewer Target stores will carry LGBTQ-themed merchandise for Pride Month this year, according to reports.

The announcement, first reported by Bloomberg, follows a backlash the company faced last year for the sale of rainbow-themed goods, including clothing, accessories and home products before and during June, a month when communities in the U.S. and abroad celebrate LGBTQ Pride.

Last year’s boycott — one of many anti-LGBTQ demonstrations led mainly by conservatives in 2023 — led to losses in sales and profits in the U.S., the company’s chief growth officer, Christina Hennington, said in August.

It also led to the removal of some of its Pride merchandise from certain stores due to “threats impacting” its employees.

This year, the decision to scale back the sale of Pride items in some physical stores was based on “guest insights and consumer research,” the Minneapolis-headquartered retailer said.

A company spokesperson declined to comment on how many of the retail giant’s nearly 2,000 stores would be affected by the policy.

Police officers stand outside of a Target store as a group of people across the street protest against Pride displays in the store on June 1, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

However, in a statement sent to the Daily News, the spokesperson said the company is “committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round,” and it seeks to foster a “welcoming and supportive environment” for its LGBTQ employees.

“We have long offered benefits and resources for the community, and we will have internal programs to celebrate Pride 2024,” the spokesperson said.

While corporations that sell Pride merchandise are often criticized for focusing on the LGBTQ community in a seasonal and insincere effort to appear more progressive, some community leaders also see the value in the mainstreaming rainbow-themed shirts, hats and mugs, and the need for robust support from corporate America.

“Pride merchandise means something,” Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, told The News in an email, in which she slammed Target’s decision as “disappointing.”

“With LGBTQ+ people making up 30% of Gen Z, companies need to understand that community members and allies want businesses that express full-hearted support for the community. That includes visible displays of allyship,” Robinson said.

The move “alienates LGBTQ+ individuals and allies at the risk of not only their bottom line but also their values,” she added.

According to Bloomberg, Target plans to sell its full Pride-themed stock on its website.

With News Wire Services