Republican attorneys general from seven states have signed a letter to Target, insinuating that the retailer’s LGBTQ youth content and merchandise may be considered obscene and in violation of law.

The letter criticizes Target for offering youth-sized clothing featuring Pride themes and asserts that the states are obliged to “enforce state laws protecting children” from “content that sexualizes them,” including obscenity laws. The letter also suggests that Target may be breaching the law by making decisions that are allegedly “unprofitable” and not in the best interests of its shareholders, citing this as a violation of the company’s fiduciary duty.

The letter, which is six pages long, does not provide specific details regarding potential legal consequences if Target continues to sell the merchandise in question. Notably, this follows a wave of bills introduced in various states that aim to ban LGBTQ content under obscenity laws, including measures to ban drag, ban books with LGBTQ characters, and restrict LGBTQ content in schools and libraries.

Earlier this year, Target was the focus of a vehement campaign led by far-right groups for offering LGBTQ merchandise. Figures like Matt Walsh played a leading role in this campaign, which resulted in an onslaught of […]