Idaho’s Raul Labrador Attacks Target Over Their Pride Products

Pride Month, as we know it, has come and gone. Each year, June is traditionally celebrated as 'Pride Month' all across the country and it has been that way for a very long time. The month-long celebration acknowledges and celebrates diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and empowers being who you are and loving who you love.

Usually during this month, it isn't uncommon to see pride gear or pride colored items for sale at local stores and shops.

For years, Pride Month has been, overall, a very accepting and fun time. Here in Boise, pride is celebrated in September with the weekend-long festival and during those events, there has seldom been anything but acceptance and family-friendly fun.

It seems that since COVID-19 has passed, however, this archaic rhetoric towards the LGBTQIA+ community has been re-awoken and given a bit more of a platform. Over the last several years, Boise Pride Festival would rarely see a word against it publicly and never any protestors. Last year, far-right activists tried to disrupt the festival and despite having a lot of talk online--only a handful of protestors actually showed up to the event.

A far-right group of the Idaho republican party has driven rhetoric, and in some instances, results in Idaho. Perhaps most recently, by electing Raul Labrador to be Idaho's Attorney General. A race that had one Democrat, Tom Arkoosh, gain endorsements and support by many long-time Idaho republicans out of fear that Labrador would not focus on the right things.

Is Labrador's focus on Target--yes, Target the national chain store, the right thing for Idaho this week? Well, that is up for his constituents to decide.

The Attorney General signed off on a letter along with several other states, claiming that Target's Pride clothing line "could be" breaking state law--citing parental rights and child protection laws. Labrador also claims to support free speech.

While everyone is entitled to their own opinions on 'Pride'--many critics on both sides of the isle say that Labrador has bigger fish to fry.

You can read the letter sent to Target and signed by Labrador, HERE.

Part of this negative rhetoric that has suddenly arisen around pride in Idaho has resulted in three years of community pride flags being destroyed on Harrison Boulevard.