Target Corp. made it clear Tuesday that transgender people who visit its stores are welcome to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
The statement by the Minneapolis-based retailer comes amid debates in many state legislatures over restricting public restroom use to the sex listed on a person’s birth certificate.
While many of those conversations have centered around restrooms in public schools and government buildings, Target appears to be one of the first big-box retailers to take a proactive stance in declaring its position on the matter when it comes to its own restrooms.
While they may not be technically public, restrooms in stores are often the most easily accessible and widely available options outside of people’s homes and workplaces.
Target’s position also extends to its fitting rooms.
“Inclusivity is a core belief at Target,” the company said in a statement on its corporate website. “It’s something we celebrate. We stand for equality and equity, and strive to make our guests and team members feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day.”
Molly Snyder, a Target spokeswoman, said it is not a new policy, but the retailer wanted to clarify its position given questions it has received from both customers and employees amid the national debate. Executives sent an e-mail to store leaders earlier this week to convey the message.
“It’s a restatement of a policy,” she said. “It’s just us being very overt in stating it.”
A number of other companies, including some retailers, have been vocal in opposing North Carolina’s recently enacted law that restricts transgender people from using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity in public buildings. Other states are considering similar bills. A Minnesota House committee held a hearing last week on a similar proposal but it faces long odds and, if the measure passed, a likely veto by Gov. Mark Dayton.
More than 100 companies that include Starbucks, Apple, Google, Twitter and Facebook have signed a letter asking the governor of North Carolina to repeal its law. Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen are among those who have canceled concerts in the state in protest.
Retail industry analysts said they haven’t heard much until now from major retailers about their own restroom policies.
“Target being more proactive about it could very well open — or force — the dialogue,” said Carol Spieckerman, a retail consultant. “Any time a retailer takes a more vocal stance, the microphone goes in front of all of the others.”
Wal-Mart and Richfield-based Best Buy did not immediately return requests for comment late Tuesday afternoon.
It was probably smart for Target to get out ahead of this issue, Spieckerman added, rather than waiting until it is pressed up against a wall or until a conversation unfolds on social media about it. In the past, she noted that retailers often tried to be somewhat vague when it came to controversial issues.
“But it’s now a really relentless environment in which retailers have to clearly state their beliefs,” she said.
While Target’s public declaration may not be popular with everyone, it will be more accepted by its core shopper base, which tends to be younger and more urban, said Amy Koo, an analyst with Kantar Retail.
“They’re going to do what’s in the interest of the business,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt them as much as it helps them.”
This isn’t the first time Target has treaded into more controversial issues. Last fall, Target received both praise and criticism when it took down the gender-based signs in its toys and kids’ bedding aisles.
A couple of years ago, it found itself in the midst of a gun debate when protesters tried to force it and other retailers to ban customers from openly carrying guns in their stores. Target ended up pacifying protesters by asking customers to not bring guns into its stores.
And in 2010, Target found itself on the defensive when gay rights activists assailed it over campaign contributions to an Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate who opposed gay marriage. But the retailer has worked its way back into the good graces of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community since then.
In 2014, the company, which has long offered benefits to same-sex partners, came out publicly in support of gay marriage.
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(c)2016 the Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
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I wonder what the female customers think about this.
As a woman, who will now be a former Target Shopper, I am appalled by this policy. I don’t want to shop where I don’t feel comfortable using the restroom or allowing the children in my care to use the restroom. If you have male “parts” use the men’s restroom. If you have female “parts” use the woman’s restroom. When you change your parts you can change your restroom. Otherwise this is just an open invitation for perverts to claim to be transgender and to insinuate themselves into the places where we are most vulnerable and where we need our privacy respected.
I shop at Target all the time, am not a prude, but am conflicted about this.
A year ago while shopping at Express with a very conservative Cambodian former student I made a silly comment through the dressing room wall, exited the stall, and there was a man just outside my room. He was a good-looking sophisticated African-American guy who wasn’t ogling the women at all. I was only embarrassed because he heard my stupid comment. He grinned and we let it go. Their dressing rooms are unisex and I have no problem with decent guys like him but my friend was really uncomfortable. Starbucks’and gas station restrooms are individual unisex locking rooms- again, no problem.
What I am worried about are poseurs who might use the law to gain access to women and girls. Come on, you know it’s going to happen; “Three’s Company” was an early harbinger of this. Let’s get graphic. There are gaps between walls and stalls from which nice people avert their eyes to avoid peeking at ladies on the pot. Pervs won’t. In the 99 Cents store the other day I noticed a wad of toilet paper stuffed into a hole in the wall between the ladies’ and mens’ rooms. Obviously someone was concerned about peeping Toms. So I guess I’ll either wait until I get home from Target or have my pepper spray out until I know pervs aren’t exploiting the new rule.
As a woman, I think it is beyond insane and I will never shop at Target again..they are totally out of line.. a man with men’s plumbing does NOT, under any circumstances, belong in a woman’s bathroom… and a woman with women’s plumbing does NOT, under any circumstances, belong in a man’s bathroom.
this country is being shoved deeper into the darkness of the cesspool.. no values, no morals, beyond insane…
I guess Target wants to lower it’s customer base…
I am now a FORMER target customer — this is simply insanity on steroids – PC crap in the extreme, and at the jeopardy of all children. public bathrooms have for many decades been a place for pedophiles to go after children – they have always been easy targets, and now are being INVITED – come on in, do as you like! And as for little girls – it is disgusting that any little girl should be subjected to some pervert in a dress while standing in front of her to pee! WRONG on every level, and I don’t give a flying fig about transgender rights if those rights infringe on common decency and the welfare of children!
I am a woman, I have 3 daughters and I can tell you, I abhor this. I already dropped my gym membership because planet fitness apparently approves of those deviants being allowed to go into whichever locker room they feel like. So I will also tell Target to change their mind or lose my business. This is so sick and I never thought I’d ever see the world so upside down and preverted in my lifetime. How much longer will God tolerate this, I don’t know….come quickly Lord Jesus!!
The REAL question is “Why doesn’t anyone care what the women think about this?”
And I mean everyone from the businesses to the politicians to the afflicted men who are suddenly in a fabricated crisis mode.
Target has repeatedly taken stands that are opposite to my values. The only time I shop there is when somebody sends me a gift card that is only good at Target. And then I do my best to spend only what the card is worth.
morectrthan, the reason for that is, to the left, NO one’s opinion or rights matter, if they are not in lock stock with liberals agenda..
And since most women in the US are NOT dumbocraps (no matter what Shillary wants it to be), their opinions to these leftist intolerant hacks means squat.
As to Nancy. Even if i GOT a target gift card, there are ways to get them changed to something else.. IIRC there are at least 2 types of keyosks that allow you to convert gift cards into other ones (though at a small fee).. Either that or send it back to the giver and tell them ‘get me something else’.
What about my rights. I have a right to go in a public restroom such as Target and take a pee without having a women watch me.I will not worry about it as I will not shop at Target again.
Money will talk on this decision. Came up at a party last night and all 30 plus people will boycott Target! That’s a quick 30k lost! Hope the 700,000 Transgenders make up for the Big loses target will expirience. Appease the few to piss off the masses! WALMART IS GOING TO GROW!
Reality show a big majority of voter are against homosexuals, and business who support, must need close down and out business. Next president be will reverse what are real wrong, and order homosexuals keep and intern in mental facility until cure.
Yes reality does show the majority of people are against this catering to the insane, but the left doesn’t care what reality is… if they did, they wouldn’t be consistently trying to redefine what’s Normal would they..
I will definitely shop at other stores that are safer for me and my kids, then. If target prefers to cater to these pc policies over the common sense values most Americans share then I think most Americans will go elsewhere. It’ll take just one unfortunate incident, and it will happen, for them to get their corporate ***** sued. Just too bad it has to come to that.
Target doing for business reason, but a be will loose another normal customer. Transgender must be in mental facility, not free shopping and majority American are opposite. That must end in one way or another, liberals have a real twist mental disturbing, out reality. Like talk with two Puerto Rican woman who are liberal, was said to me, OH if Trump win, poor illegals, and I said illegals must deported all and close immigration in a South, who broke a Law must jail and majority voter support, but a two woman was see me like I was from another planet, Puerto Rican are another illegal abuser who Congress must end too. I agree with Trump 10000% he are right what said, corrupt politician and Judges need clean, but Mexican are a more nasty of all illegals. But nothing are more disgusting who sexual depredator homosexuals and for next years be will a real bad dream for all homosexuals.
If I were Target’s CEO or at least a store/manager, I’d be hunting for a direct estimate of cost for insurance against a customer being beaten to within an inch of their life because they attempted to use a rest-room which didn’t match their God-given plumbing. cc
Yep, figured Target would do exactly that. Wouldn’t want to lose a sale, just as the politicians wouldn’t want to lose a vote. What the hell is our country coming to.
If they are worried about losing customers and sales, they just made a costly mistake. There will be thousands of customers that refuse to shop there now. It’s going to cost them. I hope they lose millions of dollars over this. How can it be that they think they are being respectful and welcoming to all their customers, when they are choosing the few over the many with their dumb idea? They say this; “We stand for equality and equity, and strive to make our guests and team members feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day.”, but they are alienating many customers to pander to the few mentally ill, sexually confused ones. I’m so sick of what is happening in our nation!
Agreed.. I hope within the year, we are hearing Target has filed for chapter 11 protection.
You may be assured I will not shop at Target for any garment that needs to be tried on to check for a proper fit. I do not want the attentions of a man who is pretending to be a woman to harass, rape, or beat me because I do not want his attention.
Heck, i won’t be shopping there period. Let alone for clothing.
I am deeply saddened by this stand by a company I had respect for as a leader in quality retail. Make sure you never leave your children go in to a Target rest room or fitting room alone. If they will allow this perversion,keep those you love close if Target is not concerned for their safety. Execs in Minneapolis think this sickness is equality, please pray for them
This kind of pandering from Target is why I haven’t been in one of their stores in years and I used to be a frequent customer. I am sick of all these companies pandering to the many minorities. If any little or adult female is assaulted by any man in that restroom, they should be held liable. If more people would boycott and stand up to these businesses, maybe they would go back to common sense.
One more religiously secular humanist company,that wholesome citizens would be shunning. We ought to take back our governments by electing righteous legislators.
I don’t shop at Target anyway.
me either sarge.
i quit with target over no merry chrimas and no salvation army set up.
It may not be cost effective, but the short answer to this issue is to create a third bathroom for transgender people. Sometimes there are bathrooms designated exclusively for disabled people. The same bathrooms could be relabeled to include transgender people. Also transgendered people should have to carry special identification that requires a doctor who has signed off on this identity, like people who are declared officially disabled by their doctor(s). Final note: people need to stop being so phobic about others who do not fit in their demographic. Frankly, it is no one else’s business as to what anybody else’s sexual orientation, or gender identity is, except God’s. People have a very hard time minding their own business, and somehow feel they have the “religious right” to correct, discriminate against, and mistreat others. This madness is self-destructive.
God has already made His determination on gender identity. He locked it into our DNA, and gave us the appropriate body parts. Who are we to question His choice?
Transgenders do not want that.
Their issue is not that they are forced to go into the restroom that matches their physiology, their issue is that they DEMAND to use the bathroom that matches their pathology.
Transgenders are not interested in going to the restroom, they are interested in going everywhere women are permitted to go.
Oh really? Try this on for size. No one has the right to impose their sexuality on others and them to accept it. If you think for one moment that a 46 year old man can follow a 13 year old girl to the bathroom your sick. As for me if I saw a older man following my daughter into the bathroom their will be hell to pay. No wonder Russia, the Muslim World and Asia think we’re all nuts. As far as Targets, I will not give them one penny of my hard earned money and I blocked their weekly adds to me on the Internet and deleted their Apps. That is my decision. In the meantime stay out of the women’s room.
So jeff. You would have no issue with some guy who ‘thinks they are a chick’ following your wife into the local Gym’s shower room?? Or following your daughter into a changing room?
Hey Jeffrey, why don’t you address your commentary to those disturbed individuals who think EVERYONE does NEED to know their sexual preferences,,,,Don’t ask…DON”T TELL It’s NOT a badge of honor for chrissakes
Awwwrriiiiight!! As a man who identifies as female, it’s time to head over to Target! Will be sure to get a stall next to a hottie, whip out that extend-o mirror with camera phone and get some good pics!
Not even funny…..jerk
I don’t think it was meant to be funny.
Men are now allowed in the ladies dressing room and ladies restroom. ZMan merely stated what we all know will happen.
His scenario may bother you.
It may bother me.
It likely bothers ZMan.
But the politicians and now Target don’t seem to care about that.
You’re right, it bothers me tremendously especially as someone who has been violated in the past. Hence, why it’s never funny. These so called transgendered are mentally ill just like all the other types of deviants. The guy who started the legislation in NC is a convicted pedophile. I appreciate you trying to clarify what he meant though. I have done so much to protect my daughters from pedophiles and perverts, ect., so that they would never have to go through what I went through and now governments and corporations are sanctioning all kinds of deviant behavior. It’s appalling. I have been around long enough to have never thought all these behaviors would be encouraged, legal and defended by so many.
And as someone who HAS watched the cops perp walk someone out of a store for doing exactly that, even if it was a joke it was in poor taste.
Eventually some female or child will be assaulted by a former male, transgendered to another sex (or at least claiming to be) in a washroom or fitting room and Target will be sued for allowing this to happen. It will be interesting to see where all align as to who is at fault when it happens.
Knowing how liberals are, they won’t TAKE the responsibility for this happening, if it ever does.. They will look to blame something else.
Headquartered in Minneapolis and as liberal as the left coast, could we expect anything else? But men in the women’s dressing rooms – are they freaking kidding?!
What I’d like to know is why 2% of the population and far less than that tranny’s are driving the rest of us into the ground!
I think all this transgender BS hype that Obama and the homosexual crowd will come to a halt when we get a right thinking person in the White House.
Remember to vote out these PC liberals, we don’t need this filth to spread any farther!
No more Target store shopping for our family!
I wonder how many stores and Corporations, which are trying to be PC, would take this view if they asked their wives or children how they feel.
If they want to provide bathrooms that are single person use with a lock that is gender neutral, fine: But just think about the cost of remodeling for this option and providing the same number of stalls. Then think about the cost of litigation, when and not if, someone gets attacked and tramatized by “a person who is confused about what physical sex they are”.
“Transgenders” want to use the ladies room. They think they are women. They don’t want a “bathroom accommodation.” They want to go wherever women go, because they think they are women.
They will no longer get my business. I will be happy to continue to support small conservative business owners instead.
What has this world come to? Our front runner is supporting this mess! I feel betrayed. Trump was “conservative” when the Southern votes were up for grabs, then once he got our votes he went up North pandering to the liberals! We should never place business interests over morals and common sense! God help us all.
Tort lawyers must be licking their chops over this one. What defense could they offer when the inevitable molestation takes place?
I will continue to shop at WalMart, and, if necessary, as a protective father, will begin taking my young daughters into the rest room if I deem necessary, to keep them safe. As a parent, I will do what is necessary to teach them values, and to keep them safe from all third parties.
The perverts are cheering “Target is my kind of place”
Dan French
How sad. Greatly inconvenience the vast majority for a few mentally confused people? Put young girls and women in peril? How perverted can Target become? I sure hope the majority of the normal people who are at peace with their own birth sex and are now raising normal girls and boys and grandchildren will opt to shop somewhere else and make Target re-examine their “inclusive policy of perversion.”
Folks:
This is not about gender discrimation anymore. It has become an all out war against moral vs immoral. They are trying
at all costs to eliminate from
society that perversion is abnormal. The LGBT mafia militants are masters at bullying and intimidation. Rather than stand for the traditional family as we know it retail stores they would rather take the dark and evil side and cow down to this bizarre behavior.
Never liked Target to begin with and now more than ever, NEVER!
I can assure you that I will never set foot in a Target store again. This entire situation was brought on by the progressive liberals in /DC starting with the racist that is sitting in the White House trying to force his sick agenda on normal people. Sick of this happening over and over again by the liberals in Washington.
Here you go
https://contactus.target.com/ContactUs?Con=ContactUs&lnk=fnav_t_spc_1_28
Thank you, I wrote them
Same here. But like with the times i have emailed my congressman/woman, i bet its gonna get ignored..
To mock those people who think “men” and “women” means men and women, the left circulates memes about body scanners checking private parts.
The flip side of this is, who is checking gender identity to be sure those people with a penis who go in the women’s room really identify as women? It’s probably only the common decency of people who advocate common sense that prevents protests whereby people stop recognizing the gender signs on the door, then – maybe when arrested for going in the ladies room – claim that for that moment only, they happened to identify as female.
How is it that feminists claim women should have their own women’s Uber service and women-only gyms but don’t seem to care enough about women to defend women-only restrooms?
Being consistent and rational is antithetical to who those people are.
If they can get you caught up in trying to rationalize the irrational, they are one step closer to being able to define reality for us.
That is what is at the heart of this. Once Progressives can tell us that we are wrong regarding our instincts over something as intimate and fundamental as our sexuality (by claiming that you are not born a specific gender, you are “raised to be” a specific gender), they can rewrite anything they choose, whenever they choose.
Just like the left doesn’t want people to Prove they are authorized to vote, they don’t want people to have to prove this.. All so they can cater to the mentally insane.
Lets see the “rest of the story”….the Gov of NC struck down the “pick your bathroom of choice law” written by the city of Charlotte, for
A CONVICTED PEDOPHILE – NEVER REPORTED EVEN BY THE CHARLOTTE PAPER THAT KNEW OF IT The leader of this group has a history of preying on young people…charged and convicted in another state BUT also charged in NC on multiple counts has various aliases. So, TARGET, BRILLIANT DECISION caving to a minute minority of bullies…HOPE YOU’RE INCREASING YOUR LIABILTY INSURANCE TO ABOUT 50 MILLION!
Leader of Trans Bathroom Charge in Charlotte Has Sex Offender Status [Updated]
https://ladyliberty1885.com/2016/03/07/leader-of-trans-bathroom-charge-in-charlotte-has-sex-offender-status/
Stopped buying clothes at certainTargets (rarely did anyway) when I discovered their fitting rooms were unisex. Other Targets maintained separate rooms, so if I was interested in an item and wanted to check the fit, I would find an accommodating location. As for public restrooms, not a fan of sharing it with a biological male UNLESS he has demonstrated his commitment to his identity by going under the knife first. Therefore, I will not be spending much time or $$ at Target; I advise those of you who intend to continue shopping there–use the restroom BEFORE entering the store.
I haven’t shopped in Target for years, but many of my family members do. When I tell them about this, you can bet they all will shop somewhere else. We are all against PC ideas and the idea that a few confused perverts are considered above the many normal people. I hope to see a lot of vandalism at Target stores now. Spray paint messages all over the stores….
Good for Target! I’m going to have to shop there a little more often now.
No, daves, you’ll have to shop here a lot more often to make up for all the people with common sense who will now stay away. My wife and I used to be frequent Target shoppers, but now drive miles out of our way to avoid them. Same with Home Depot and Starbucks. I will not finance their support of perverted and deviant lifestyles.
Heck i will shop at Meijer or Kmart before i do Target..