Target sells shirts to benefit gay-rights advocates

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Minneapolis • Target Corp. is taking some heat for selling T-shirts to benefit a group that favors gay marriage.

The retail giant recently unveiled several "Pride"-themed shirts, with proceeds to benefit the Family Equality Council. The group is one of several fighting a proposed constitutional amendment in Minnesota to ban gay marriage.

Frank Schubert, a spokesman for one of the largest groups that favors the ban, told Minnesota Public Radio the T-shirts are "a slap in the face to people of faith and supporters of marriage."

Target says the T-shirts simply reinforce its long support of the LGBT community.

The online T-shirt promotion marks an apparent turn for Target. The company was sharply criticized two years ago for donating $150,000 to support a candidate for governor who opposed same-sex marriage. See a list of Utah Pride Festival events this weekend on C6.