PetSmart Latest Company to Face Outrage Over LGBT Pride Promotion

A general view of a PetSmart store in New York on Sept. 15, 2022. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

PetSmart has become the latest brand name to face online backlash over the promotion of LGBT-themed merchandise, as social media users continue to call for the pet supplies superstore to be added to a boycott list that already includes Target and Bud Light.

The company came under fire on social media because of its new “You Are Loved” collection—launched days before the start of Pride Month in June—which features rainbow-colored clothes, toys, and other items like dog bandanas, cat harnesses, aquarium ornaments, and reptile capes emblazoned with the words “pride vibes.”

“PetSmart is celebrating Pride Month with the all-new 2023 You Are Loved collection of Pride themed clothing, toys and accessories for pets of multiple species,” the company said in early May, noting that this product line has been around since 2019.

“The proprietary collection was created in partnership with the associate resource group, PetSmart PRIDE AT WORK, and is a representation of the company’s commitment to supporting associates and community members of all orientations, gender identities and expressions,” it added.

The company’s marketing campaign doesn’t appear to be well-received among many conservative customers, who posted images and videos from PetSmart stores to Twitter along with calls on like-minded Americans to take their money elsewhere.

“It’s not just the kids they are after, now it’s your pets,” a Twitter user wrote, apparently referring to Target’s new LGBT Pride collection that features various items for children and toddlers.

“I turned around and left!” another user wrote in a post with a photo showing an in-store collection of the “You Are Loved” products for pets. “And before someone calls me a phobe do I advertise my sexuality on my pet?! This is stupid and alienating.”

“To PetSmart—Congratulations! We just added PetSmart to our permanent boycott list,” someone else wrote on Twitter.

Partnership with LGBT Activist Group

PetSmart has a partnership with the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), an activist group that places LGBT-themed books in K–12 school libraries and encourages teachers to not tell parents if their child is changing his or her gender identity.

As part of its “commitment to the LGBTQ+ community,” PetSmart proudly states that it has donated $200,000 to GLSEN this year.

“This marks the fourth consecutive year PetSmart has donated to GLSEN, with contributions totaling $600,000 to date,” the company said in May.

Target, another longtime partner of GLSEN, has donated a total of $2.1 million in support over the past decade.

A national organization consisting of 43 chapters in 30 states, GLSEN runs the “Rainbow Library” program, which aims to send “LGBT-affirming text” to K–12 schools across the country.

Included in the list of books GLSEN recommends for elementary school students are “When Aidan Became a Brother” and “I Am Jazz.” The former is described as a story about how a couple “fixed the parts of life that didn’t fit anymore” after their daughter told them she “felt more like a boy.” The latter tells the story of a boy who felt he “had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body” just because he loved stereotypical feminine things like “pink and dressing up as a mermaid.”

Hiding Information From Parents

According to its website, the Rainbow Library program has sent 46,000 “LGBTQ+ affirming K–12 books” to over 4,600 schools across the United States.

“Each set contains 10 LGBTQ+ affirming grade-aligned books, as well as posters and supplemental resources,” it says.

GLSEN also recommends that, for the sake of students’ safety and well-being at home, teachers keep parents in the dark if their child identifies as a different gender at school and doesn’t want them to know.

“Staff or educators shall not disclose any information that may reveal a student’s gender identity to others, including parents or guardians and other staff, unless the student has authorized such disclosure, the information is contained in school records requested by a parent or guardian, or there is another compelling need,” one of GLSEN’s model school guidelines read.

As the Target–GLSEN partnership gains more public attention amid the LGBT merchandising controversy, the activist group put out a statement condemning “attacks” and “lies from right-wing extremists”

“Right-wing media outlets have spread harmful and vicious lies about GLSEN—and these intentional and heinous attacks have spurred an onslaught of hateful messages and threats to our mission and the physical safety of our staff,” the group alleged.

“We cannot let a violent, angry minority hold our democracy, our school system, or our community hostage,” it continued, adding that its work is “grounded in racial justice, disability justice, and gender justice.”

The group’s website features a list of more than 30 “Pride Partners.” Besides Target and PetSmart, some other big-name donors and partners include Hollister, Quay, Lego, Disney, T-Mobile, DHL, NBA, and Universal Music Group.