Target doing the right thing
https://youtu.be/JIvXNOsY2cQ
One big box store makes a big stand for transgender people…but not everyone is happy with the move.
Target stores have come under fire for announcing that transgender employees and customers are free to use the retail giant’s restrooms or fitting rooms which correspond with their gender identity.
Conservative group American Family Association started a petition calling for the boycott of Target stores.
The AFA says Target’s policy helps facilitate access to potential victims of sexual predators. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has also joined the boycott, announcing on a Facebook post Sunday that he won’t shop at Target stores.
Just more than a week after launch, the AFA petition has, as of this recording, gathered more than 920,000 signatures and may breach one million before publication.
Target announced its policy after North Carolina’s Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, known also as the “bathroom bill” was signed into law in March.
The legislation, also known as House Bill 2 or HB2, bans individuals from using public bathrooms that don’t correspond to their biological sex.
It also prevents cities from passing anti-discrimination ordinances which would extend protections to LGBT people. Similar bills are being considered in many other states.
This week I spoke with Transgender National Alliance founder Nikki Araguz Lloyd about Target’s move, the backlash, and one unexpected ally.