Target Donates 50K to Antigay / Oral Sex Police Candidate Ken Cuccinelli

Target has donated a significant sum toward the campaign of an antigay political candidate in Virginia, reports Right Wing Watch.

The retail giant gave $50,000 to the Republican Governors Association, an organization that contributed nearly $3 million to the campaign of Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Virginia.

The contribution seems out of character for Target, which is generally a strong supporter of LGBT rights. Earlier this year, Cuccinelli, as the state’s attorney general, filed a petition asking the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to reinstate Virginia’s “Crimes Against Nature” law, which would make oral and anal sex a felony for anyone in the state, regardless of sexual orientation or age.

As attorney general, Cuccinelli also campaigned against the inclusion of sexual orientation in the nondiscrimination policies of public universities. In 2008, the conservative went so far as to claim, "when you look at the homosexual agenda, I cannot support something that I believe brings nothing but self-destruction — not only physically, but of their soul," according to the The Washington Post.

But this isn't the first time the Minnesota-based company has made headlines for its political contributions. In 2010, Target donated $150,000 to MN Forward, which created ads advancing another antigay gubernatorial candidate — Tom Emmer of Minnesota. The backlash prompted CEO Gregg Steinhafel to issue an apology to employees, stating “our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry.”

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