Houston Republic

Gays Against Groomers Texas leader Brad Johnson called for a boycott of department store chain Kohls for offering LGBTQ-themed merchandise to children and infants in a tweet published on Monday.

"This is the same woke chain that was selling #BLM merchandise, so I'm not even slightly surprised," Johnson wrote.

According to Fox News, Kohl's is the latest major company to receive customer backlash and boycott threats after offering Pride-themed clothing marketed towards children. The outcry follows a similar backlash directed towards Target in late May and early June when they featured a collection of Pride clothes for children, resulting in some stores deciding to remove the merchandise. Bud Light also received similar criticism following a promotion featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Kohl's Pride collection for children covers a wide range of sizes starting from 3 months and gradually including larger sizes. The collection features clothing from various brands such as Carter's and Baby Sonoma. Items in the collection include Carter's infant bodysuit with the phrase "Happy Pride", as well as shirts for children of various ages featuring messages such as "Love is Love", "Equality Has No Gender", and "Follow Your Rainbow".

Many consumers and right-wing influencers voiced their disappointment and anger with Kohls on social media.

"Kohls’s with the PRIDE BABY clothes… stop targeting children it’s gross," Turning Point USA contributor Morgonn McMichael wrote in a tweet published on May 28. "#BoycottTarget was the beginning here’s another to add to the list, #PrideMonth."

Kohl's has struggled financially in recent times, with its stock sinking by over 50% over the course of 2022. In July, the stock dropped by nearly 21% after the company revealed that it had terminated a potential deal to be acquired by Franchise Group and warned of a decline in sales exacerbated by a drop in consumer sales.