#ethan schmidt

Daniel Villarreal at LGBTQ Nation:

While it has become a trend for right-wingers to go into Target and raise a fuss over their Pride merchandise, two employees in one video showed them standing up to a notorious bigot’s harassment when he tried to cause trouble at an Arizona store.

MAGA-chud Ethan Schmidt recently recorded himself walking around a Target, holding a children’s shirt that had “Pride” written on it three times, and asking people if they support this “Satanic Pride propaganda.”

One female employee responds to his question, “Yeah, both.”

He asks, “You support it?”

“Satan and Pride,” she says while texting on her phone, keeping her voice in a somewhat bored matter-of-fact tone that conveys polite disinterest.

“You support Satan?” Schmidt asks again.

“Mmhmm!” she responds.

He asks, “What’s God going to think of that?”

She quickly responds, “I don’t believe in God.”

As he whispers, “Wow,” she asks, “Did you need help with something?”

He says, “You support the propaganda that’s targeting kids?”

She says, “Uh, there’s nothing targeting kids.”

He then says, “It’s all over TV shows. It’s all over. They’re targeting kids.”

She explains, “Kids can choose to wear whatever they want.”

He then asks, “Do you support the sexualization of kids through Pride propaganda by corporate—?”

Schmidt’s use of the word “propaganda” is telling. It’s the same word that Russia has used in its law that punishes any public or online displays of LGBTQ+ identity.

Interrupting his question, the woman asks again, “Is there something we can help you with?”

He responds, “I’m just asking people questions.” He then turns to a nearby man in a t-shirt and jeans and says, “How about you, sir? Do you support this?”

The man says, “I’m not answering any questions but if you’re here to cause any disturbance in the store…”

Schmidt says again that he’s just asking questions and asks the man if he works at the store. The man explains that he’s not wearing a name tag because he is an undercover loss prevention worker (basically someone who keeps an eye on possible shoplifters).

Schmidt then repeats, “I’m just asking questions. So do you support this Satanic propaganda?”

The man says, “I’m not answering your questions,” and adds, “What you need to do, is you either need to leave the store….”

Schmidt says, “God will judge you guys.”

As the two begin escorting Schmidt towards the entrance, the woman says, “I mean, he can’t, he won’t if I don’t believe in him.”