Eleven days ago, Target announced that they are allowing customers to use whichever bathroom or fitting room that best matches the gender they identify with. Unsurprisingly, Republicans everywhere panicked--and by panicked, I mean signed a petition. The claim on the petition is that sexual predators will pretty much have a field-day with the new freedom:
"This means a man can simply say he "feels like a woman today" and enter the women's restroom...even if young girls or women are already in there. Target's policy is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims...Clearly, Target's dangerous new policy poses a danger to wives and daughters."
Firstly, since when have sexual predators ever followed rules anyway? Secondly, why are we only worrying about the potential female victims? Lastly, it is very likely that your wives and daughters have already shared a bathroom with a transgender woman without even knowing it. There are much, much more important things to boycott, petition, and speak out about, such as:
1. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, child molester
Before Hastert was elected to congress, he coached wrestling at a high school; he was the town hero. Last May he was charged with lying to the F.B.I and withdrawing money in a seemingly inconspicuous way in order to quiet some of the men he coached back in the day. It turns out, he didn't just coach these boys, he also molested them and then tried to shut them up with money. His lawyer and several past members of congress asked for his sentence to be lowered to no avail. Apparently to Republicans it's okay to be a pedophile as long as you're not transgender.
2. Police forcing a lesbian out of a bathroom, claims she isn't a woman
A woman was forcibly dragged from a restroom (state unknown) while insisting she is a man. She denies their provocation to show identification that she is a female, then they continue dragging her out whilst calling her sir and her friends follow them yelling, "She's a girl!" So, rather than women being afraid of male predators taking advantage of Target's new policy, we should really be worried about potentially being dragged from the restroom because bigoted police officers don't believe our proclaimed gender.
3. Ku Klux Klan leader (supposedly) endorses Trump
Trump remains entirely confused on whether or not KKK leader David Duke actually endorsed his campaign. Even without a solid endorsement, there is no debate that several racist groups have supported Trump's ideas throughout his campaign. This is concerning--people who hate people based on skin color are voting for this man--is this someone we should trust to run an entire country?
With all the controversy and hate and injustice going on in the world, so many people are focused on bathrooms. The future of our country and fair treatment for all should be our number one priority as a nation--not whether or not the person in the bathroom stall next to you is a male or female.