TARGETing Children

Ryan Cox • August 10, 2023

TARGETing Children

“Recent debate around proposed laws in several states has reignited a national conversation around inclusivity. So earlier this week, we reiterated with our team members where Target stands and how our beliefs are brought to life in how we serve our guests. Inclusivity is a core belief at Target. It’s something we celebrate. We stand for equality and equity, and strive to make our guests and team members feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day… In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways. Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.”

~ Target, “Continuing to Stand for Inclusivity”, April 19, 2016 [1]

With this news came a broad range of reactions, one of which was the refusal of conservative families to shop at Target (1) for fear of sexual predators and (2) to stand for what is morally and Biblically right. Indeed, each of the CTF families ceased shopping at Target after this announcement. Were/are families warranted in their fears of what might happen to their loved ones?

The WOMAN Means Something campaign released a study in January of 2018 to see what happened following Target’s new bathroom policy. They found a significant increase in “voyeurism-related offenses”.[2] The report showed that 94.5% of victims were female, 100% of the perpetrators were males, and children were the victims in 34% of the offenses.[3]]
[1]

Consequently, Target saw their sales fall from $73.785 million (2015) to $69.495 million (2016); net earnings also fell from $3.321 million (2015) to $2.669 million (2016), a 19.6% drop.[4] It wouldn’t be until 2018 that sales would recover to 2015 levels[5] and not until 2019 that net earnings would recover to 2015 levels.[6] [

With the recovery in sales and profits and the embracing of ESG scores[7] and the cultural revolution, Target felt safe to release their most aggressive moral agenda to date with their 2023 “Pride” collection. What they were not anticipating was America’s reaction when children become a primary “target”. The greatly increased merchandise included items to help young people struggling with gender identity “hide” or alter their appearances. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Target also partnered with U.K.-based brand Abprallen, whose designer Eric Carnell is an outspoken Satanist (though he says he doesn’t believe in the actual real Satan). The brand features occult imagery and messages like “Satan respects pronouns”.[8]

Backlash was so severe, that Target had to act: “Since introducing this year's collection, we've experienced threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and well-being while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”[9]

Indeed, when I personally went to the Target in Norman, OK, I could find no such “pride” merchandise.[10] But for Target, their troubles were only beginning. Citi analyst Paul Lejuez reported that Target saw a 13.9% drop in store traffic the final week of May. Additionally, Target saw its stock values fall for multiple weeks, resulting in a loss of $15.7 billion.[11]

Did Target learn its lesson? Not at all. The very next month saw their Australian stores having to remove a children’s book from all locations (but not online) due to its incredibly graphic content.[12]

Why have children become the focus of today’s attacks? As Target’s partnership so clearly answers, children have always been one of Satan’s targets. From the sacrificing of children to Molech to the sacrificing of children to transgenderism, Satan seeks to destroy families in efforts to eliminate Godly progeny. Today’s tactics are not much different than those in the past – mostly cultural pressures to conform to the current sinful trends. And, tragically, more and more parents are unaware of what is happening.

This is why the Lord our God has COMMANDED Godly parents to teach their children the ways of the Lord, PERSONALLY. Just taking them to Sunday services or sending them to a youth group doesn’t cut it. If a Christian parent is not personally imparting the faith to his or her child(ren), then he or she is in open defiance of the Lord.

⁵ For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they were to teach them to their children, ⁶ So that the generation to come would know, the children yet to be born, That they would arise and tell them to their children, ⁷ So that they would put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But comply with His commandments, ⁸ And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

~ Psalm 78:5-6 ~

This is also why we are promoting our new program entitled Divine Identity, in which we expose what is actually going on in the current cultural revolution, in particularly regarding gender identity. Please contact us if you would like to have this program in your church, and please pray that the Lord will work through it to provide life-changing results for the glory and growth of His Kingdom.

Target, “Continuing to Stand for Inclusivity”, A Bullseye View, 19 April 2019, <https://corporate.target.com/article/2016/04/target-stands-inclusivity>.
As in “upskirt” (2.3x increase) or “peeping Tom” (2.9x increase).
Dirks, Paul. “Gender-Inclusion Policies and Sexual Violence: A Longitudinal Analysis of Media Reports at Target Stores”. WOMAN Means Something. 29 January 2018. <womanmeanssomething.com/targetstudy>.
Target 2016 Annual Report, <https://corporate.target.com/_media/TargetCorp/annualreports/2016/pdfs/Target-2016-Annual-Report.pdf>.
Target 2018 Annual Report, <https://corporate.target.com/annual-reports/2018/financials/financial-highlights>.
Target 2019 Annual Report, <https://corporate.target.com/annual-reports/2019/financials/financial-highlights>.
Target, “Sustainability & ESG”, A Bullseye View, <https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-ESG>.
Parks, Kristine. “Target customers shocked after company features pride items by Satanist partner: Devil is ‘hope’ and ‘love’”. Fox News. 24 May 2023. <https://www.foxnews.com/media/target-customers-shocked-company-features-gay-pride-items-satanist-partner-devil-hope-love>.
Target, “Target Statement on 2023 Pride Collection”, 24 May 2023, <https://corporate.target.com/press/releases/2023/05/Target-Statement-on-2023-Pride-Collection>.
The only thing I could find was one endcap in grocery with “pride”-themed champaign.
Flood, Brian and Suzanne O’Halloran. “Target market cap losses hit $15.7 billion, shares approach 52-week low amid woke backlash”. Fox Business. 12 June 2023. <https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/target-market-cap-losses-hit-15-7-billion-share-near-52-week-low-amid-woke-backlash>.
WARNING: Graphic Content - Rolfe, Brooke. “‘Welcome to Sex’ children’s book causes chaos on retailers’ shelves”. New York Post. 18 July 2023. <https://nypost.com/2023/07/18/anger-intensifies-over-welcome-to-sex-book-in-big-w-and-target/>.
WARNING: Graphic Content – Caporn, Dylan. “Yumi Stynes defends kids’ book Welcome to Sex after Big W, Target ban while sales skyrocket online”. The West Australian. 20 July 2023. < https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/books/yumi-stynes-defends-kids-book-welcome-to-sex-after-big-w-target-ban-while-sales-skyrocket-online-c-11337849 >.

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July-August 2025 Printed Newsletter

By Bob Dugas • August 6, 2025

NEW VBS FOR 2026 - Celebrating America 250

By Ryan Cox • August 6, 2025

NEW VBS FOR 2026 Celebrating America 250

Summer 2025

By Matt Miles • August 6, 2025

Summer of 2025 is two-thirds finished. We have taught at 7 different camp weeks along with 6 VBSes. Ryan and I have had a busy summer for the Kingdom. Our travels have stretched from Ohio to Colorado and all points in between. We have taught in churches and connected with many supporters and friends. This summer, as usual, ministry has taken us away from family for periods, but there has been great returns for the sacrifice - more than fifteen souls have been added to God’s eternal Kingdom and even more seeds planted with life-changing fruit produced, from the young to old. Again and again we encounter students that are fired up with a passion for knowledge of the Word of God. As these students have found answers to questions or faith-challenging issues, they are better equipped to share their faith. This summer we have had the opportunity to reconnect with many students whom we taught at a younger age. Now they are in their teens or heading to college. Their testimonies of strengthened faith because of the mission God has called us to is more than rewarding. It never gets old to meet grandparents, or even great-grandparents, during VBS that have lived their lives as followers of Christ yet have never seen the impact of Genesis to the Gospel. Just yesterday this happened with a grandmother who was overjoyed and appreciative of our teaching and message. Knowing more about dinosaurs Biblically allows for them to have new lines of communication with their cherished grandkids. Our ability to give these great warriors of the faith answers that can impact their families for eternity is priceless to us. Please continue to lift us up in prayer as our summer is not over yet. As always, know that your support is making an impact for the Kingdom that we are eternally grateful for. If you are thinking about having us come next summer, don’t hesitate to contact us as summers fill quicker than the rest of the year. Summer has and will continue to be a crazy busy time for Kingdom work. Blessings.