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Target's 'tuck-friendly' swimsuit is made for adults, not kids | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read
A sign outside a Target store is seen Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers.

The claim: Target is selling 'tuck-friendly' swimsuits for children

A May 17 Instagram video shows a woman walking through the LGBTQ pride section of Target and finding a rainbow swimsuit with a tag that says the suit is "tuck-friendly."

She says the swimsuit is only available in the pride section, not the kid's or baby's sections.

Following this clip, conservative podcast host Matt Walsh is shown saying, "We can also clearly see that the bathing suits, though not in the kid's section, are available in kids' sizes. ...Target is specifically marketing products for children and putting them on display right in the front of their stores for all to see."

The post garnered more than 180,000 likes in less than a week. Similar versions of the claim have been shared on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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Our rating: False

The swimsuit is marketed towards adults, not children, and is offered in sizes XXS through 4X. None of the kids' swimsuits in the Pride section are labeled as "tuck-friendly."

Swimsuit is for adults, not children

Target is facing conservative backlash due to its LGBTQ pride month section and is pulling some pride merchandise from its stores in response. The "tuck-friendly" swimsuit, made for those who are transgender, is one such item that has sparked outrage online.

Though some of the swimsuits shown on the Target rack in the Instagram video appear quite small alongside the larger sizes, they aren't children's swimsuits. The tag shown by the women shows the size labeled as XS.

This is consistent with the Target website, which lists sizes for the swimsuit ranging from XXS to 4X, or "Adult General Sizing." The swimsuit is also called the "Pride Adult One Piece Colorblock Swimsuit."

A Target spokesperson referred USA TODAY to a comment given to the Associated Press. Kayla Castañeda, a spokesperson for Target, told the AP the "tuck-friendly" swimsuits, which include the rainbow one-piece and black swim bottoms, are made for adults only.

"The kids’ swimsuits in the Pride collection are not the same design or construction and do not have the same label," Castañeda told AP.

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USA TODAY reached out to Castañeda and the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The claim has also been debunked by PolitiFact, Reuters and Check Your Fact.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, Target isn't selling kids 'tuck-friendly' swimsuit | Fact check