Twilight star Rachelle Lefevre accuses Target of ‘trying to erase’ LGBTQ people

Twilight star Rachelle Lefevre accused Target of ‘trying to erase’ the LGBTQ community, including her non-binary seven-year-old, after her local store moved their Pride merchandise display to the back. 

Lefevre, 44 – who played Victoria in franchise’s second movie, New Moon – took to her Instagram to call out Target, which has received massive backlash for the new line which includes ‘tuck-friendly’ swimwear.

‘I just walked into Target and where you see all these lovely swimsuits, that’s where the Pride display used to be,’ the mother-of-two said. 

‘I came in here two days ago, and my seven-year-old, who’s non-binary, saw it and said: “Look, mom, it’s Pride, look! They’re going to celebrate me!’ 

Lefevre, who also starred in The White House Down, said she will no longer be able to bring her child to Target because she fears they will be upset to see the collection moved. 

‘So the next time my seven-year-old comes to Target – or rather I can’t bring them here anymore, at least for the entire month of June – because if they walk in, and all the other people who walk in, and go: “Where did it go?” They’re going to realize that [critics] are being successful in trying to erase them.

‘We could do so much better than this,’ she emotionally continued. ‘We aren’t supposed to negotiate with the terrorists.’ 

Twilight star Rachelle Lefevre, 44 – who played Victoria in franchises second movie, New Moon – took to her Instagram to call out Target, which has received massive backlash for both selling ‘tuck-friendly’ swimwear, and for moving the Pride collection to the back of stores

‘I came in here two days ago, and my seven-year-old, who’s non-binary, saw it and said: “Look, mom, it’s Pride, look! They’re going to celebrate me!’ …So the next time my seven-year-old comes to Target – or rather I can’t bring them here anymore, at least for the entire month of June – because if they walk in, and all the other people who walk in, and go: “Where did it go?” They’re going to realize that [critics] are being successful in trying to erase them’ 

In her caption, the Canadian actress said the retail company was giving ‘performative allyship’ and playing into the role the critics want.

She also said if it was a ‘security issue,’ that Target would be able to afford to hire ‘extra security, but instead they chose to send the message that LGBTQ+ people aren’t worth protecting or fighting for.’ 

Earlier this week, Target moved the display to the back of some Southern stores. Although it is not clear what store Lefevre visited. 

While the collection is annual at the chain, this year’s display made waves after ‘tuck-friendly’ swimwear caught the attention of conservatives. 

It began after a series of angry mothers took to Twitter and TikTok to complain. Over the last few weeks, the retail giant has been reviled by families for putting transgender clothes, books and greeting cards in its stores.

Outrage and confusion sparked over a range of ‘tuck friendly’ female swimsuits

It was after a series of angry mothers took to Twitter and TikTok to complain. Over the last few weeks, the retail giant has been reviled by families – particularly mothers – for putting transgender clothes, books and greeting cards in its stores

The company was forced to release a statement to insist the suits were only available in adult sizes.

‘Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and wellbeing while at work,’ Target said.

‘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,’ crisis communications manager Kayla Castaneda said.

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The company did not specify which items had been taken off shelves. Many of the swimsuits, onesies and t-shirts that sparked outrage remain available online.

There is also growing outrage over its partnership with Eric Cullen, a British transgender man, whose brand Abprallen celebrates Satanism.

Target is selling two of the brand’s items – a $25 slogan sweater with the words ‘cure transphobia not trans people’ wrapped around a sword, an $18 ‘too queer for here’ tote bag, and a ‘we belong everywhere’ fanny pack that now appears to be sold out.

Eric – a transgender man – proudly shared photos of the collaboration on Instagram.

‘These have already got the transphobes infuriated with me and I feel like quite the celebrity to think that they believe this is all some big conspiracy and I have any power to brainwash anyone when I’m just some guy drawing pictures!’ he said.

A closer look at his other work reveals some more sinister material.

Badges with slogans like ‘Satan Respects Pronouns’, ‘Young, Queer and Willing’ and a lighter pin with the words ‘burn down the cis-tem’ are among other products.

He also models the ‘Satan respects pronouns’ t-shirt on an Instagram page while wearing BDSM-style horns and no pants.

Yesterday, several stores in Utah, Ohio, and Pennsylvania received bomb threats that were sent to local news outlets. 

A Layton Target – located at 810 West 2000 North – was evacuated after receiving multiple bomb threats. A bomb squad and a K9 unit were deployed to the store around 1pm, according to KUTV.

All staff and customers were directed to the parking lot.

Police said stores in Layton, Salt Lake, Taylorsville and Provo were threatened. Authorities became aware of the threats after local news stations received emails threatening danger and referencing the company’s new controversial Pride collection.

Five Targets in across Northeast Ohio and Pennsylvania were also threatened, according to Cleveland 19, who received a threatening email listing stores in Stow, North Canton, Boardman, Niles, Ohio and Monaca, Pennsylvania.

‘Target is full of [redacted] cowards who turned their back on the LGBT community and decided to cater to homophobic right wing, redneck, bigots, who protested and vandalized their store,’ the email to Cleveland 19 read. ‘We won’t stand idly by as the far right continues to hunt us down.

‘We are sending you a message, we placed a bomb in the following Targets,’ the email continued. ‘We will continue to bomb your Targets until you stop cowering and bring back your LBGT merchandise.

‘We will not be erased, we won’t go quietly.’

Cleveland 19 reported the threatening email to all local police forces and the FBI.

Layton Police Sergeant John Ottesen told KUTV that the threats made in Utah came from a ‘bogus email address.’