“Can't they just play at being superheroes without loading them up with the stereotypes?” another commenter wrote.

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By Thursday, Ollin’s query had racked up more than 300 comments. Target Australia promptly removed the shirt. (The company has no relation to America's Target Corp.)

Not everyone agreed with the decision:

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“Do these complainers think that Batman doesn't also need to clean up before fighting crime? This is only sexism to people who think men don't do their own cleaning.”

“So y'all let your children go out a play without doing their chores that help you around the house and help them become healthy functioning adults in future right?”

“For goodness sake it's a blooming T-Shirt. If you don't like it, don't buy it, and don't put it on your child.”

Target Australia responded amid the debate. “Hello everyone, thanks for sharing your feedback with us,” the company wrote. “It absolutely wasn't our intention to cause any offence with this shirt, so we really appreciate you all getting in touch with us to let us know your thoughts. We’ve taken this feedback on board, and sincerely apologise for any disappointment caused.

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The Australian company, which resembles the U.S. retailer down to its logo, website and price points, operates about 300 stores, according to the Star Tribune.

A year go, the U.S. retailer announced that it would get rid of signs that label toys for girls and boys. The Disney Store also outlawed gender designations for its Halloween costumes, specifying instead that the get-ups are “for kids.” Amazon, meanwhile, has stopped sorting toys for kids by sex.

Retailers who embrace such neutrality say they don’t want to nudge children toward gender-stereotypical items and risk alienating a boy who loves princesses, for example, or a girl who’d rather play with trucks.

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They are also taking steps to avoid viral scandals. Party City came under fire last year for selling police officer outfits with skirts to girls and with pants to boys. ("Toddler girls are not imagining and hoping that they will grow up to become a 'sexy cop,’” a mom wrote in an open letter to the company.) Gap Kids faced a backlash this month after an advertisement called boys “scholars” and girls “social butterflies.”

Target Australia's Batgirl shirt drew scorn because, as some commentators pointed out, the Batman options aimed at boys make no mention of domestic duties.



Women, of course, have traditionally shouldered the bulk of housework in the United States and elsewhere. The chore disparity hasn’t vanished with the rise of feminism and dual-earner households. American women spend about four hours on average each day on unpaid work — cooking, cleaning, babysitting — while men devote about 2.5 hours to these tasks.