Target recently announced its decision to allow transgender people to use the restrooms and fitting rooms that correspond with their gender identity. As a result, it has come under fire from right-wing hate groups.

The American Family Association, a group well known for its homophobia, has been leading the right-wing response. It has sponsored a petition to boycott Target, and this petition now has more than half-a-million signatures.

The group has again used the bogus argument that this policy leads to more sexual assaults, despite all the evidence to the contrary. The leader of the boycott stated that:

Target’s policy is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims. And with Target publicly boasting that men can now enter women’s bathrooms, where do you think the predators are going to go?”

Once again, the Christian Right is obsessed with the false notion that sexual predators dress up as transgender to get to their victims. Perhaps their effort would be better spent focusing on the sexual predators in their own ranks?

Despite the backlash, Target is standing firm. It has made it clear it will not allow right-wing extremists to bully them. A spokeswoman for the company stated that:

“We certainly respect that there are a wide variety of perspectives and opinions. As a company that firmly stands behind what it  means to offer our team an inclusive place to work-and our guests an inclusive place to shop-we continue to believe that this is the right thing for Target…(most stores) have single-stall, family restrooms for those who may be more comfortable with that option.”

Target is standing up for the LGBT community, even if it means losing customers. This is why it needs and deserves support from progressives. Now it has become a better place for progressives and LGBT’s to shop as well. No more homophobes and crazy, right-wing Christian nut jobs.

 

Feature Image via youngadultmoney.com