Target is not welcome at the Twin Cities Pride Festival this year despite being a longtime sponsor, organizers say, because the company recently ended some of its DEI programs.

Target is joining a wave of US companies pulling back on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as right-wing pressure leads companies to alter their commitment to hiring diverse candidates and expanding access.

Target is ending its DEI program this year, the latest corporation to step away from such policies in the face of scrutiny from conservative groups.

The Associated Press reports companies have faced legal pressure to end DEI from conservative groups who were encouraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to outlaw affirmative action in college admissions.

DEI policies originated as a counterweight to discriminatory corporate practices. A number of prominent companies have scaled back or set aside the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that much of corporate America endorsed following the protests that accompanied the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd,

Discount store chain Target says it's joining rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.