Walmart has not made changes to LGBTQ-themed merchandise

By Siddharth Cavale

BENTONVILLE, Arkansas (Reuters) - Walmart on Wednesday said it has not made any changes to its LGBTQ-related merchandise tied to Pride Month, or to security measures in place at its stores, a week after rival Target pulled some LGBTQ-themed products following customer backlash.

"We haven't changed anything in our assortment," Latriece Watkins, Walmart's chief merchandising officer, said.

Last week, Target pulled some Pride-related merchandise, including items by transgender designer Erik Carnell, saying the products led to "volatile circumstances," such as confrontations between customers and Target employees, and customers throwing Pride merchandise on the floor.

Walmart also offers LGBTQ-themed merchandise tied to Pride Month, which is celebrated in June, including rainbow-adorned flags, clothing and accessories. Its "Pride & Joy" collection includes a $7.98 set of enamel pins with messages such as "Be you. Be Proud." and "You are enough."

Walmart's Watkins said the retailer hasn't changed its security measures in response to the confrontations Target cited at its own stores, adding that Walmart hasn't seen similar issues.

"In this particular case, when we think about security ...we have not done anything in particular differently related to security in our stores," Watkins said.

(Reporting by Siddharth Cavale; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)