Ash + Chess is a small Queer and Trans owned business based in Upstate New York.

Target hired us to design sixteen unique and exclusive designs for their 2023 Pride campaign, only for them to cave to the pressure of loud and violent threats from domestic terrorists and pull fourteen of our sixteen items out of stores, moving them to online only and deleting our "Trans People Will Always Exist" shirt out of the assortment completely. This came as a blow not only to us as queer + trans artists whose work was supposed to be featured in Target stores all across the country, but to the millions of LGBTQIA+ people and families who will not be able to see affirming messages displayed in a large retailer and who have been told that their existence is dangerous and doesn?t deserve to be celebrated and stood behind.

Trans people will not and cannot be erased, and Target's choice to put this item on the floor only to take it away and imply it should be hidden is harmful beyond words. The entire point of our collection and collaboration was to give queer and trans people across the country to feel seen, acknowledged and told that their existence is appreciated and important. The direct consequence of pulling this item completely, along with pulling the majority of our items and pieces from other artists to online only, is a message that interprets to "we do not stand with trans people when things get tough." Actions speak louder than words, and in this specific case, Target hasn't even stood up with a statement to defend their actions. Their choice to stay silent through all of this has made their statement clear. 

We are putting this shirt up for sale for those of you who wanted it but couldn't get it, for those of you who love trans people, and of course, for those of you who aren't finished fighting :').

The profits after production costs will be directly donated to the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project through the Campaign for Southern Equality, which provides rapid response support directly to the families of youth who are impacted by anti-transgender healthcare bans in the South. Please share far and wide as, once again, the community we love so dearly is left to pick up the pieces of another harmful and failed attempt at performative allyship.

Order by Thursday, June 15th for the first batch of shirts. Orders will start shipping June 23rd. <3 Shirts will be printed in 7 day batches.

We love you :')

<3, Ash + Chess