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American Family Association Warned Target This Would Happen—And It Did

July 20, 2016
Min. Read

TUPELO, Miss.—American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) warned Target that sexual predators would take advantage of its bathroom policy—and they have.

In April, the Target corporation announced it allows males who identify as female free access to the same restrooms and changing rooms as women and girls. AFA immediately launched the #BoycottTarget pledge, which has garnered nearly 1.4 million signatures.

Since the boycott began, AFA has shared multiple examples of why Target’s policy is dangerous. For example, AFA recently sent an Action Alert to its more than one million friends and supporters, which informed them that “the most recent and startling example occurred in an Idaho Target store. … According to East Idaho News, ‘an Idaho Falls man who police say identifies as transgender was arrested … after deputies say he took photos of a woman in a fitting room in Target.’

“The man was booked at a local jail on one felony count of voyeurism,” the alert continued. “A woman told police that ‘a man, dressed in women’s clothing, had entered a fitting room in the women’s clothing section of the store.’ Police say the suspect was seen taking photos of a woman in a stall next to him while she was changing. According to another witness, ‘The woman was begging for help as she chased the man out the door...’ and ‘she kept saying she wanted those pictures deleted.’” Though he identified as a woman, the jail inmate roster lists the alleged perpetrator as a man.

“This is exactly why we told Target that its store policy is dangerous,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. “Yet, even in light of headlines such as these, Target continues with its reckless policy. As back-to-school shopping season nears, AFA is asking families to avoid shopping at Target stores—and to warn their friends about the danger Target presents to women and children.

“Target’s lack of action on this issue has proven that its main concern is not the safety of its customers,” he continued. “Instead, Target management is more concerned with political correctness.”

Target is dependent on a large back-to-school sales season. Those who spend their money elsewhere will send a strong message to Target that the bathroom policy is bad for business. Additionally, throughout the month of July, AFA is asking all those who have signed the #BoycottTarget pledge to work diligently to get just one other person in their circle of influence to sign it as well. AFAis also asking shoppers to take action in several other ways:

  • Sign the #BoycottTarget pledge. Invite family and friends to sign the pledge, too.
  • Print AFA’s “pass-along sheet” to share with family, friends, neighbors and others at summer outings this month.
  • Share the boycott information on social media and be sure to use #BoycottTarget.
  • Voice concerns on Target’s Facebook page.
  • Visit afa.net/target for more tools and information on the #BoycottTarget initiative.

LifeSiteNews further reported several instances of men taking advantage of transgender restroom policies, and AFA also shares examples on its www.afa.net/Target page:

  • Just this summer, a 22-year-old New Hampshire man was arrested and charged with violation of privacy after he allegedly recorded underage girls in a Target changing room, according to LifeSiteNews. Zachary Bishop later turned himself in after fleeing the store.
  • In February, a Seattle man entered a swimming pool changing room and undressed in front of a young girls’ swim team, claiming he had the right to do so under transgender policies.
  • In 2014, it was revealed that a convicted rapist who once sexually assaulted a 5-year-old girl claimed to be transgender in order to gain access to a women’s shelter, where he again assaulted women.

Since rolling out its new policy, Target’s stock has plummeted, LifeSiteNews further reported. AFA, along with other concerned Americans, awaits Target’s second-quarter report, due in mid-August.

In May, AFA hand-delivered one million petition signatures to Target headquarters in Minneapolis, after which AFA leadership briefly met with Target senior management about the bathroom policy. Target executives reported that the company would not change the policy but would install private-stall family restrooms in stores not already equipped with them. This summer, it is AFA’s goal to deliver another one million signatures to Target headquarters.