Last week, Target released a statement claiming that their employees and customers should feel free to use whichever bathroom they felt most comfortable in and corresponds with their preferred gender, as a way to signify their support for their transgender customers. This statement comes after the passing of an anti-LGBT and anti-transgender law in North Carolina this month. This support is the latest move in what seems to be a more diverse, inclusive Target. Last fall, the retail chain made the move to remove gender specific labels from their toys and bedding items in order to promote the idea that any child can have any interest. They realize that children have a variety of interests and likes, and that gendering a specific type of toy or item discourages children from enjoying these interests. By removing gender labels, boys and girls can both get a dinosaur and a doll without the stigma that comes with one being a “boy” toy and one being a “girl” toy.
The inclusive bathroom policy is Target’s way of saying “we know we have a diverse customer base and we appreciate that.” Technically, this outright support doesn’t change much. Most transwomen were already using the women’s restroom, and most transmen were already using the men’s. In reality, however, this support makes it clear that members of the transgender community are welcome in Target and they can now feel comfortable using the restroom and fitting room according to their preferred gender rather than feeling uncomfortable and unsure of what they should do.
Much of the dissent over this policy is the question “what’s to stop a man from walking into the women’s room and assaulting my child?” Well, there’s a variety of responses to that question:
1. Usually, people just use the bathroom to pee. When you gotta go, you gotta go.
2. If you’re that worried about your child using the restroom, they probably shouldn’t be using it alone to begin with.
3. Do you really think it would be better for a fully transitioned or transitioning transwoman to use the men’s restroom? Or a transman to use the women’s?
4. What’s to stop a man from assaulting a boy in the men’s room? How do you know it doesn’t already happen in the other room?
5. There’s actually a pretty low rate of public restroom assault. In fact, in 8 out of 10 cases, victims of assault already know their attacker. However, 64 percent of transgender people will experience assault throughout their lifetime. Looks like you should be more afraid of your child’s friends than the stranger in the stall next to you.
6. How do you plan to stop this? Require ID of everyone walking into the bathroom? Have police patrol the stalls? Why cause that kind of trouble for someone who simply needs to pee?
7. The actual issue here isn’t about transgender people. It’s about rape and sexual assault.
The biggest argument against this is that a man can walk into the women’s room and assault a child, which has nothing to do with members of the transgender community. What you’re really afraid of happening in the bathroom stall actually happens every day: it happens on college campuses, in homes, at work, at the bar, at a party, on the street. Sexual assault isn’t a new or isolated issue, and it very rarely happens in public restrooms. The argument is part of a bigger issue: rape culture in America. As a general standard, rape crimes are one of the lowest reported crimes, with 68 percent of crimes going unreported. This is because of the lax consequences that the attackers face and the difficulties that the victims deal with when trying to come forward. Athletes are given free passes because it could ruin their career, people walk free because they’re in a position of power, there are several reasons why 98 percent of rapists go free. Yet the victims are asked what they were wearing, told they were asking for it, and are called liars. All of this supports the idea that you will not be punished for sexually assaulting another person, which is what the bathroom issue gets back to. We are diverting attention away from the real problem by focusing on transgender people. What needs to happen is this: there needs to be more consequences and heavier punishments for those accused and convicted of assault. There needs to be more support and help for those who are attacked and those who come forward. If you see something, report it. If you see a creep following someone down the street, help them out. If, after reading this, you still think that the transgender community is the issue, then that’s your business. But your discrimination and prejudice isn’t helping the real issue nor is it going to change the fact that they still exist and just want to go about their lives. And who knows. They might be peeing in the stall next to you, minding their own business. Like people generally do, and should do, when they use the restroom. Guess someone didn’t get the memo.
