(KRON) — Ahead of Pride month, Target announced it is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise nationwide after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers. California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that Americans should be alarmed not just by attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, but by Target apparently siding with anti-gay bigots.

“CEO of Target Brian Cornell selling out the LGBTQ+ community to extremists is a real profile in courage. This isn’t just a couple stores in the South. There is a systematic attack on the gay community happening across the country,” Newsom tweeted. “Wake up America. This doesn’t stop here. You’re Black? You’re Asian? You’re Jewish? You’re a woman? You’re next.”

Target said that customers knocked down Pride displays at some stores, angrily approached workers, and posted threatening videos on social media from inside the stores. In addition to removing some items completely, Target confirmed that it has also moved its Pride merchandise from the front of the stores to the back in some Southern stores after backlash from apparent anti-gay shoppers.

“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” the retailer said in a statement on Tuesday. ”Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”

Target declined to say which items it was removing but among the ones that garnered the most attention were “tuck-friendly” women’s swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts. Target’s Pride Month collection has also been the subject of several misleading videos in recent weeks, with social media users falsely claiming the retailer is selling “tuck-friendly” bathing suits designed for kids or in kids’ sizes.

The Pride merchandise has been on sale since early May. Pride month is held in June. Designs by Abprallen, a London-based company that designs and sells occult- and satanic-themed LGBTQ+ clothing and accessories, have also created a backlash.

Target and other retailers including Walmart and H&M have been expanding their LGBTQ+ displays to celebrate Pride Month for roughly a decade. But Target’s response to confrontations in its stores takes place as state legislatures introduce a record number of bills targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. This year transgender issues—including gender-affirming health care and participation in sports—have been a divisive topic in state legislatures, with backlash turning hostile.

There are close to 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have gone before state legislatures since the start of this year, an unprecedented number, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Those efforts focus on health, particularly education and gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. State legislatures are pushing to prevent discussions in school regarding sexuality and gender identity.

At least 17 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors, though judges have temporarily blocked their enforcement in some, including Arkansas. An Associated Press analysis found that often those bills sprang not from grassroots or constituent demand, but from the pens of a handful of conservative interest groups.

The moves come as beer brand Bud Light is still grappling with a backlash from customers angered by its attempt to broaden its customer base by partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light’s parent company said it will triple its marketing spending in the U.S. this summer as it tries to restore sales it lost after the brand partnered with the transgender influencer.

Target, based in Minnesota, and other retailers including Walmart and H&M have been expanding their LGBTQ+ displays to celebrate Pride month for roughly a decade. This year transgender issues—including gender-affirming health care and participation in sports—have been a divisive topic in state legislatures and the backlash has turned hostile.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.