A similar feeling is shared at the store. In the last entry of our Confessions series, in which we offer anonymity in exchange for Candor, Modern Retail spoke with a Target Transgenre employee who has lived in Texas and has been working for the company for about 10 years. He has been on leave for mental health since March, which, according to him, is in response to discrimination, withdrawal of the DEI and societal changes after the election of President Trump.

The employee said he had sent an email to the CEO of Target, Brian Cornell, in which he explained that the retailer had been a “refuge” for him-there are not many employers he felt safe as a transgender person, he said. However, the recent Target decisions linked to diversity, equity and inclusion made it feel “dehumanized, undervalued and disposable”, “ He said in the email.

“I could go get hired, but once they discovered that I am queer or trans or other, I do not know that my situation will be very different,” the employee told Modern Retail. “I would like to say that we could delete the large box [retail]But the truth is that we need it, and they need us – our various perspectives. I think it would be in everyone’s best interest if we could understand it. »»

In the interview, the employee explains how he expects the DEI decisions to have an impact on Target’s workforce, how he considered that the company’s response to transphobic comments has changed and what the company should do to reconquer his confidence. Target did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

This interview has been modified for more clarity and length.

How did you feel the decline in some of the DEI initiatives and the last email sent to the staff by the CEO?

“In the e-mail of the CEO, the only thing they took some responsibility was that they said they had left us out of the loop with silence, but we haven’t really heard anything since.

They will not account for the human rights campaign. [The company had previously participated in the organization’s Corporate Equality Index surveys.] When you don’t have the data to support things, for me, I feel like you don’t do things to support this data. … The figures will not be there. You will not see the minorities getting within the company as you promised, and therefore, you do not want to report this kind of thing and be part of this change. “”

What do you think of working on Target now against when you started?

“Whenever I started transition socially and medically, Target had a very good answer to transgender people in the toilet. … I felt deeply supported by the company. [believed] And always believe that transgender people are not competent to provide mental health services.

Target was really somewhere where I felt like I was belonging. This has somehow took great success, because, as the political climate has changed, Target’s position has changed a lot. [Target’s diversity stance] I felt very performative, even looking back now every time I thought it was something different [before the DEI pullback].

[Now,] I feel disposable to a certain extent where even microagressions have the impression of being more tolerated – as [the company suggesting] Our identities are opinions. Just as the world is more hostile, they accept these things more in the workplace. I thought they would come down against these kinds of things.

What kind of situations have you faced in stores?

“Not long ago, in the past six months, I had redirected a gentleman, and his response to another person was:” I don’t care what he has to tell me. “Thanks to HR, it was not approached appropriately. [To the company]This is a question of opinion on what we call. So you don’t see this support, I think. If someone said something clearly racist, we called it racism, but we do not call things from transphobia.

With the Trump presidencies, in general, I saw the change in the world and in Target. … Even if [people] felt [transphobic] Before, they weren’t so vocal, and I think people are more vocal now and have the impression of being able to express this in a workplace more openly.

We see quite regularly where [with] Guests – [like with] The pride that came out a few years ago; There was an extreme negative response to that – we are invited to validate that it is their opinion and their feelings and they are entitled to their feelings. So even at the store, if they came to complain or call, it is What we did – and it was a bit disgusting as a trans person and like someone who has other trans and queer people who work there. »»

The coverage concerning Target’s withdrawal was largely focused on the black community. Do you think others are excluded from the conversation?

“I think the accent is on the black community, and rightly so. But I think that, demographically, Target is quite diverse progress slowly. “”

What should the target do to correct this?

“I think the honest conversation is the most important thing they lack – a certain humility. I also think simply in partnership with minorities and hearing us first [would help]. … Sitting and starting conversations, it will have to start there. »»