Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is co-leading a coalition to offer the Target Corporation help following recent backlash.

Announced in a press release yesterday, the coalition looks to work against anti-LGBTQIA harassment following the introduction of Target’s latest collection of Pride merchandise. Ellison is co-leading the group of 15 other attorneys general with Massachusetts AG Andrea Campbell.

The group acknowledges that Target pulled items because of harassment, violence, and other criminal acts against employees and customers. But they said that pulling the items can send “a message that those who engage in hateful and disruptive conduct can cause even large corporations to succumb to their bullying.”

Target pulled some items from their collection in response to the threats and even moved displays from the front of the store to the back in some Southern states.

The release from the Office of the Attorney General says that Minnesota and other state have laws that protect employees against hate-based intimidation, harassment, threats, or attacks. The coalition encourages Target to reach out to law enforcement or even attorney general offices for help. They say they area “ready, willing, and able to work … in the spirit of progress, inclusivity, and equality.”

By — Lakeland News