For the past nine years, AFA has led the boycott of the Target corporation over that company’s decision to allow men into the bathrooms and changing areas used by women and girls.
This boycott was one of the largest in U.S. history, as the petition reached over 1 million signatures in a matter of weeks. To date, the boycott petition has over 1.5 million signatures.
The question on when to end a boycott is something AFA has deliberated about in the past with other well-known campaigns. When observing what has been accomplished with the Target boycott, there are several things that stand out.
Since the start of the boycott:
1. Target lost over $2 billion in stock value in the days following the boycott.
2. Other corporations took note about the misguided Target policy.
3. Target added single occupancy restrooms in response to the boycott.
4. Target scaled back LGBT Pride month products in May 2024.
5. Target recently announced it will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBT index.
In addition, the boycott made it clear that many Christians were hungry for a biblical approach to this issue. That led AFA to commission American Family Studios, our film division, to produce the award-winning documentary In His Image: Delighting in God’s Plan for Gender and Sexuality. The unique film has been viewed more than a million times, translated into multiple languages, and is impacting lives across the globe.
So, while Target is far from a good actor in the culture war, we asked ourselves if the boycott had served its purpose. The answer is YES. While Target didn’t officially rescind its misguided policy, we believe the overall effect of the boycott caused Target to rethink how it promotes left-wing policies.
The boycott also reshaped how America addresses the issue of transgenderism and helped launch the controversial subject to the forefront of the cultural debate. Now, almost a decade later, there are millions of people who believe we must protect women and girls in bathrooms, changing areas, and in women’s sports. The topic was even a flashpoint in the 2024 elections.
Therefore, having examined the overall effect of this effort, AFA is officially ending its boycott of the Target corporation.
We want to thank the millions of families that shopped elsewhere over the last nine years. As always, we encourage Christians to let their biblical worldview drive their consumer decision-making as much as possible.
AFA will also continue monitoring corporate behavior related to protecting America’s families. As we typically only engage in one boycott at a time, we now have an opening. We encourage corporate America to remain neutral in the culture war, and, if not, AFA is always willing to fight back when necessary.
