The Advocate in an email. "The item is only available on Target.com and we've temporarily pulled it from our assortment until the concern is resolved."Rob Smith, the gay, HIV-positive man who owns the Phluid Project, told the Los Angeles Blade that he had spoken to Target officials after he learned of the complaints on Twitter and that he was also communicating with ACT UP NY.
His company specializes in genderless fashion and seeks to empower the LGBTQ+ community, he said.In addition to the tweets, the controversy was first reported by Rolling Stone in an article available only to subscribers.ACT UP NY has spoken out against corporate use of the “Silence = Death” message previously, as in a 2018 dispute with Nike, the Blade notes.