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No, Target is not selling ‘tuck-friendly’ swimwear for kids
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As part of its LGBTQ+ Pride collection, Target is selling adult swimwear with "tuck-friendly construction" that has extra crotch coverage to "tuck" private parts. The swimwear is available only in adult sizes, a Target spokesperson told PolitiFact.
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The swimsuit shown in the video is listed on Target’s website as a "Pride Adult One Piece Colorblock Swimsuit."
With Pride month approaching in June, Target recently unveiled an LGBTQ+ collection, some of which is being mischaracterized.
In a podcast for the Daily Wire shared May 17 on Facebook, conservative commentator Matt Walsh said the retailer’s "tuck-friendly" bathing suits with extra crotch coverage to "tuck" private parts "are available in kids’ sizes."
Walsh called for a boycott of Target over the swimwear.
In the video, Walsh showed TikTok footage of someone looking at swimsuits in Target’s Pride-themed section and showing a tag that said the swimsuit design had "tuck-friendly construction" and "extra crotch coverage."
Although the swimsuit sizes were not visible in the video, Walsh claimed these products were for children.
"We can clearly see that the bathing suits, though not in the kids section, are available in kids sizes," Walsh said in the video. "Either those are sizes for kids or for very, very, very small adults."
He later added, "Target is specifically marketing products for children."
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Similar videos making this claim were shared on Instagram and Facebook. These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Misleading posts about Target’s Pride swimwear have also circulated on Twitter. Conservative accounts, such as Libs of TikTok and Gays Against Groomers, claimed the retailer was selling "tuck-friendly" bathing suits for children.
But Target’s "tuck-friendly" swimwear is available only in adult sizes, a Target spokesperson told PolitiFact.
The swimsuit shown in the video is listed on Target’s website as a "Pride Adult One Piece Colorblock Swimsuit." The adult sizes for the swimsuit range from extra-small to 4X.
Target’s Pride collection includes clothing items for adults, children and babies, along with books, movies, music, home decor and kitchen products.
The backlash against Target follows similar pushback against Bud Light, an Anheuser-Busch brand, for its partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Walsh specifically mentioned that in his video. PolitiFact also debunked misinformation related to the Bud Light/Mulvaney partnership.
Target’s Pride collection does include swimwear for children, Target’s spokesperson said, but the products are different from the adult swimwear and do not include "tuck-friendly construction."
We rate the claim that "tuck-friendly" bathing suits at Target "are available in kids’ sizes" False.
Our Sources
Facebook video (archived version), May 17, 2023
Instagram reel, May 17, 2023
Facebook reel, May 19, 2023
Tweet, May 23, 2023
Tweet, May 20, 2023
Phone interview, Target spokesperson, May 22, 2023
Target, "Pride Adult One Piece Colorblock Swimsuit," accessed May 22, 2023
Target, "PRIDE collection," accessed May 22, 2023
Target, "Pride Adult Clothing - Swimwear," accessed May 22, 2023
Target, "Pride Kids’ & Baby Clothing," accessed May 22, 2023
PolitiFact, "Anheuser-Busch CEO didn’t resign after Bud Light partnered with Dylan Mulvaney," April 10, 2023
PolitiFact, "Destruction of beer was in Mexico, not related to Bud Light’s Dylan Mulvaney partnership," April 14, 2023
PolitiFact, "Anheuser-Busch isn’t closing half its breweries. Those claims stem from a satirical website.," May 1, 2023
The Associated Press, "Target’s Pride collection features ‘tuck-friendly’ swimsuits for adults, not kids," May 23, 2023
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No, Target is not selling ‘tuck-friendly’ swimwear for kids
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