Reports: Lady Gaga ends Target deal after alleged donations to anti-gay groups

Just weeks after she launched a partnership with US retailer Target, Lady Gaga has reportedly pulled out after the company allegedly continued its policy of donating to political causes linked to anti-gay views.

A special edition of Lady Gaga�s new single, Born This Way was exclusively sold at the retailer Target.

The deal was agreed only after intense negotiations between the star and the chain over the company�s policy to donate considerable sums to organisations that support those who discriminate against or even advocate death and violence to gays.

The company agreed to �make amends� for past behaviour by instituting a committee that would in theory prevent these sorts of donations occurring in the future and to donate to LGBT causes.

�That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I�ve ever had in a business meeting,� Lady Gaga said at the time.

�Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they�ve made in the past � our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they�ve made supporting those [anti-gay] groups.�

Bob Witeck of Witeck-Combs Communications, who was apparently well informed on the deal, said of Lady Gaga: �Throughout this whole process, she has remained true to her audience. I think she�s a person of great integrity, and I think people will recognise that.�

Target has committed $500,000 to LGBT community projects, although that is a tiny fraction of the $156 million it donates every year to �community efforts�.

�We, as a company, are considering and taking very � it is part of our hearts to care about this issue. It�s who we are. Around this, we�ve established this policy committee because we understand the importance of decisions like this one and we want to be more thoughtful. We said that we�re giving almost half a million dollars already in 2011 because we want to demonstrate our commitment to the LGBT community,� Dustee Tucker Jenkins, vice president of Target, told Billboard magazine.

The company said that prior to meeting with Lady Gaga, it had already instituted �policy committee� to decide on charitable and political donations following the Minnesota Forward debacle. The new policy would be more �thoughtful.�