Free Andry Live Show & Fundraiser
Tickets and More Info Here
Can't make the show? You can support efforts to free Andry and other wrongly imprisoned immigrants at FreeAndry.org.
Want to get more involved? Join Vote Save America, the Human Rights Campaign and the Immigrant Defenders Law Center for a protest in support of Andry José Hernández Romero. This is an opportunity for WorldPride attendees, DMV area residents, and the entire LGBTQ+ community to rally around Andry as we demand his return!
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CNN
7 hours ago
- CNN
Target's in a brand identity crisis. It's not alone.
FacebookTweetLink Target is in trouble. And while it's easy to get lost in the company's recent (poor) handling of American culture war narratives that cast it as too 'woke' or too willing to cave to online fascists, the root of Target's problems runs deep. Don't get me wrong – the massive consumer boycotts from Black organizers have done damage. And there are probably folks on the far right who think even Target's toned-down, overwhelmingly beige Pride merch this year was still too loud. But its stock is in the gutter, and sales have been falling for two years because of good ol' business fundamentals. It overstocked. It lost the pulse of its customers. It went up against Amazon Prime with… actually, does anyone know what Target's Amazon Prime competitor is called? Plus the boycotts. Plus the joy-less Pride garb. Now, investors have another wrinkle to consider. On Wednesday, Target replaced its CEO of 11 years, Brian Cornell — a shakeup that was widely expected and likely overdue. Taking his place to steer the brand out of its malaise is … Cornell's right-hand man. The brand we petite bourgeoisie once playfully referred to as Tar-zhay has lost its spark. The company reported a decline in sales for a third straight quarter, part of a broader trend of falling or flat sales for two years. Employees have lost confidence in the company's direction. And 2025 has been a particularly rough financially, as Black shoppers organized a boycott over Target's decision to cave to right-wing pressure on diverse hiring goals. Shares fell 10% in early trading. It's not to say the new guy, Michael Fiddelke, is unqualified. He's been at Target since he started as an intern more than 20 years ago, after all. But Wall Street is clearly concerned that Target's leadership is underestimating the severity of the need for a significant change— just as President Trump's tariffs on imported goods threaten the entire retail industry. Appointing a company lifer 'does not necessarily remedy the problems of entrenched groupthink and the inward-looking mindset that have plagued Target for years,' Neil Saunders, an analyst at GlobalData Retail, said in a note to clients Wednesday. In its 2010s heyday, Target became a go-to for consumers who liked a bargain but didn't necessarily like bargain-hunting. The shelves felt well-curated. You'd go to Target because it had one thing you needed and 12 things you didn't know you needed. It was stocked with Millennial cringe long before Gen Z gave us the term Millennial cringe. Target's sales held strong through the pandemic as remote workers set up home offices and stocked up on essentials. Months of lockdown also benefited the store as people began refreshing their spaces because they didn't really have much else to do and they were staring at the same walls all the time. But things began to falter in 2022. Target over-ordered and wound up with a glut of unsold inventory, just as generationally high inflation was making things more expensive. As Covid subsided, consumer spending shifted to experiences. Taylor Swift was on tour and everyone wanted to take a vacation or make up for the bachelorette weekends we'd missed during lockdown. Meanwhile, Target and other retailers began locking up products behind Plexiglass, claiming a scourge of shoplifting was to blame for disappointing profits — a cry that didn't always hold up to scrutiny. Locking up necessities has backfired in almost every way, annoying customers and burdening employees, yet Cornell stood by the decision and claimed on an earnings call that customers were actually grateful for the inconvenience. Cornell's misplaced optimism about locking up shampoo was an early indication Target's management might have lost touch with its customers' lived experience. Perhaps the biggest strategic misstep by Target came in January, when it joined a crush of American companies in dropping its diversity, equity and inclusion goals — a move that landed like a slap in the face to Target's more-progressive and racially diverse customer base. 'When Black people understood that we spend $12 million a day at Target … people begin to have the light bulb go off and say, I can't spend my dollars where I'm not getting dignity,' the Rev. Jamal Bryant, who led a boycott against Target, told CNN on Wednesday. 'We felt like it was a stark betrayal.' The boycott worked. Target's sales and foot traffic have suffered even as rivals like Walmart, Amazon and Costco have thrived. It's not just Target — other companies that have attempted to change the very idea of who they are have suffered the consequences. McDonald's and Pizza Hut are both trying to win customers back as they balk at $18 combo meals (in McD's case) and seek out better deals from rivals (in the Hut's case). Southwest Airlines is practically unrecognizable today as it ditches all the things — like open seating and zero baggage or change fees — that made it distinct from rivals. Another brand in crisis is MSNBC. The news channel said this week it is rebranding itself as MS NOW, or My Source News Opinion World, for reasons beyond grammatical understanding. Target doesn't seem to know whether it can revive its Tar-zhay magic or whether it morphs into something else. 'It's unclear what they represent,' wrote Jamie Meyers, senior analyst at Laffer Tengler Investments, in a note Wednesday. 'They're not an office retailer, a low-budget chain, a dollar store or a direct competitor to Walmart or Amazon.'
Axios
a day ago
- Axios
Nashville Pride faces catastrophic shortfall after corporations pull funding
Nashville Pride's future is in jeopardy after corporate sponsorships cratered this year, creating a catastrophic budget shortfall for the LGBTQ+ nonprofit. Why it matters: The organization launched an emergency fundraiser to "save Nashville Pride." Organizers say if they don't hit their $250,000 goal, "we risk losing not just a weekend of celebration, but a safe space for tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies all year long." Nashville Pride set a deadline of Oct. 11, which is National Coming Out Day. The big picture: Pride festivals nationwide have been pushed to the brink this year. Longtime corporate allies are backing away and pulling funding. The trend is fueled by the Trump administration's opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion. State of play: In Nashville, funding from corporate sponsors dropped by $270,000 in 2025. That's down 40% from 2024. Nashville Pride organizers said many of the losses were unexpected, last-minute decisions. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which previously contributed medical support at the festival, pulled out in mid-May, only a few weeks before this year's festival, Pride spokesperson Brady Ruffin tells Axios. As a result, organizers had to find and pay for a new provider, Ruffin says, racking up $30,000 in expenses. A VUMC spokesperson declined to comment. Between the lines: Past Nashville Pride sponsor Nissan, one of the companies that stepped back this year, said its Pride retreat was part of a broad review of marketing and sales spending, per a Nissan spokesperson. Zoom in: Bad weather during this year's festival exacerbated revenue problems. Organizers said storms cut attendance by more than 15,000 people. What they're saying:"These challenges left Nashville Pride with a gap that no single organization can fix," Nashville Pride board president Tina Tousignant, said in a statement Wednesday. Driving the news: Nashville Pride said growing opposition to LGBTQ+ issues at the state and federal levels underscored the significance of the fundraising effort. Tennessee has long been seen as a leader in anti-transgender policies. Lawmakers have pushed restrictions on drag queens and gender-affirming health care. The Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution this year supporting efforts to reverse Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark case that legalized same-sex marriage 10 years ago. "Pride isn't just a party — it's survival," Nashville Pride vice president Alycia Ehimen said in the Wednesday statement.
Axios
a day ago
- Axios
Florida's Pride crosswalk crackdown expected to hit South Beach next, city says
Florida transportation officials are expected to order Miami Beach to remove its LGBTQ Pride crosswalk on Ocean Drive, citing a new ban on street art, city officials tell Axios. Why it matters: City leaders are raising the alarm after Key West and Delray Beach received orders from the Florida Department of Transportation last week to paint over their rainbow-colored intersections by Sept. 3. The latest: City spokesperson Melissa Berthier tells Axios the city expects to receive a letter ordering the removal of its Pride crosswalk on Ocean Drive and 12th Street, but had not yet received one as of Wednesday morning. "Once we do get the letter that outlines our options, we will determine next steps," Berthier wrote in a statement. An FDOT spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. What they're saying: "This is complete and utter bulls*** that the state has no business getting involved in," Commissioner Joseph Magazine posted in a resident Facebook group Tuesday night. He said the city "just received word from FDOT that we are required to remove all 'artistic crosswalks,' specifically the rainbow colored crosswalk on Ocean Drive..." Magazine said the crosswalk, installed in 2018, "was a welcome symbol for everyone" and "bothered no one." Commissioner Alex Fernandez, the city's only openly gay elected leader, has rebutted arguments from state and federal transportation leaders that street art can distract drivers. "Our Pride crosswalk was properly approved, it is safe, and it reflects the values of inclusion that define Miami Beach...," he wrote. "And we will not allow safety to be used as a cover for censorship or for erasing a symbol that represents love, visibility and equality." Threat level: The June 30 state mandate — which echoed guidance from the Trump administration on removing political messages from roadways — says noncompliant governments may lose state transportation funding. "Non-standard surface markings, signage and signals … can lead to distractions or misunderstandings, jeopardizing both driver and pedestrian safety," the FDOT memo says. What's next: In its letters to Key West and Delray Beach, FDOT officials have given the cities the option to contest the order at hearings in September. Both Fernandez and Magazine said the city should challenge the order, if and when it is received. Magazine also proposed placing rainbow-colored park benches in Lummus Park, which he said he would purchase himself and invite the community to paint.
