Social media controversy erupts as Target releases a statement regarding their stance on the federal Equality Act and confirms their encouragement of gender neutral bathrooms within their stores.
In their statement, Target explains that "transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity" causing an out roar on social media as well as petition that has garnered over 435,050 signatures (as of now) over the course of a few days. While they aren't the only retailer that has a policy about gender neutral restroom policy, it is the first with such an uproar and response.
As a result of the dismay, the hashtag #BoycottTarget was created and caused a spread of misinformation and more hate than I have ever seen under a Twitter hashtag. Users were angry at the fact that "men" could enter their fitting room and/or restroom under the protection of customer policy, however, this is far from the case.
Transgender is a term that refers to individuals who identify with a gender other than what they were assigned at birth. The policy that Target is implementing allows trans individuals to be comfortable with using the bathrooms that correlate with their identity instead of having to go the bathrooms that don't.
Tweets like the one featured above are a mere example of how many are feeling about this new change. The lack of understanding that all of this revolves around fuels the hatred that this movement is creating.
#BoycottTarget started with the American Family Association (AFA) after they released the petition mentioned above. The organization stated that allowing this policy to put into action would “[mean] 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."
This petition ignores the fact that this is a two-way street. If they are claiming that this law allows predators to stake their claim on innocents, should they not take into consideration the FTM (female to male) trans individuals who might be at risk when using male bathrooms. Trans individuals already face major violence from people who do not understand and/or accept who they are, so when trans individuals do not "pass" according to society's standards, that poses even more of a potential for danger.
Not to mention, just like many stores, there is security on call all over the store. If anyone ever feels unsafe, whether transgender or cisgender, there is someone around to help.
The users behind these tweets fail to understand that the trans individuals that this policy helps have no interest in hurting anyone, nor are they planning some sort of attack. Just like everyone else, they are merely trying to do their business and get on with their lives.
This whole uproar could have been placated had people done their research and understood that the likelihood of this happening is historically nonexistent. Regardless of their personal concerns, the way they are discriminating against a community is uncalled for.
