OAN Anchor Alison Steinberg's Rant Over Target's Pride Section Goes Viral

A controversial TV presenter's fury over rainbow-branded items at Target went viral after she was widely mocked when the footage was shared online.

Alison Steinberg, who has appeared as a commentator on right-wing station One America News (OAN), filmed herself on her phone as she wandered around the store looking for items she believed should not be offered to customers. She appeared to become increasingly angry as she found clothes, swimming costumes and greeting cards that offended her among Target's Pride line, which caters to LGBTQ+ customers.

Her reaction to the products, and the online backlash over her comments, comes amid a social debate in the U.S. about the rights of gay and transgender people, and various high-profile attempts by brands to demonstrate their inclusivity—including the Bud Light beer campaign with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney that resulted in the company's share price plunging amid reports of a boycott by customers.

Target was also subject to a backlash this month after releasing a new clothing line in support of LGBTQ+ issues, and there had been calls for the retailer to be given "the Bud Light treatment."

It was unclear where Steinberg's footage was originally posted, and when and where it was filmed, but it was shared on Twitter on Sunday afternoon by an account called Patriot Takes, which describes itself as a channel of "researchers monitoring and exposing right-wing extremism and other threats to democracy." The clip had been viewed more than 300,000 times by Monday morning, retweeted more than 400 times, and garnered more than 1,500 comments.

The 45-second clip begins with Steinberg saying she was in "the queer section at Target" and adding: "It's actually worse than I ever imagined." She held up a sweater bearing the slogan "QUEERS Take Care of Each Other," then walked over to show a rainbow-colored swimsuit and said: "The tuck-friendly construction is alive and well. As you can see, they have a full selection so clearly it's not doing too well. But this is just out of control." She then zoomed in a pair of a socks with a butterfly design. "Really?" she asked. "Really?"

The video then cut to a display of greeting cards. "Just come over to the card section," Steinberg says, "we're in the baby aisle." She held up a card that read, "You'll be such amazing moms," and zoomed in to show there was another section of cards for "two dads." "There are more cards congratulating two same-sex parents than there are regular male and female parents. And then we head over to the wedding section: 'Hers and Hers, Mrs. and Mrs.' This is completely out of control!"

The vast majority of the comments beneath the video shared by Patriot Takes mocked Steinberg's reaction. "If you don't have 2 Moms or 2 Dads, then don't buy the card. Seems pretty simple," one tweeted. Another added: Damn, going to the store has to be exhausting for these folks." One commentator tweeted: "Weird, it's almost as if a private business decided that they could make money by marketing to people who are being marginalized. What are the odds?"

But one Twitter user agreed with Steinberg's point, telling "groomers" to stay away from kids.

Newsweek reached out to Steinberg and OAN through its website for further information and comment.

In addition to Bud Light and Target, several other companies that have advocated for the LGBTQ+ community in recent weeks have been hit by a fierce backlash.

Whiskey maker Jack Daniel's sparked anger after teaming with three drag queens, while chocolate maker Hershey's faced complaints in Canada over its decision to feature a transgender activist's face on special promotional wrappers on International Women's Day. Sportswear firm Adidas is facing boycott calls after it used a "biological male" to model a women's swimsuit. And children's TV show Transformers: EarthSpark sparked controversy after introducing a non-binary character.