Target: Transgender people to use bathroom, fitting room that matches gender identity
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (WWBT) - Target is now weighing in on the recent debate over which bathrooms transgender people should use.
The company says it encourages transgender people to use whichever restroom or fitting room that matches their gender identity, saying inclusivity is a "core belief at Target."
Here is the entire statement from their corporate website:
Recent debate around proposed laws in several states has reignited a national conversation around inclusivity. So earlier this week, we reiterated with our team members where Target stands and how our beliefs are brought to life in how we serve our guests.
Inclusivity is a core belief at Target. 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.
We believe that everyone—every team member, every guest, and every community—deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally. Consistent with this belief, Target supports the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to LGBT individuals, and opposes action that enables discrimination.
In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways. Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.
We regularly assess issues and consider many factors such as impact to our business, guests and team members. Given the specific questions these legislative proposals raised about how we manage our fitting rooms and restrooms, we felt it was important to state our position.
Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. And you'll always be accepted, respected and welcomed at Target.
However, some people are not happy about the new change. The American Family Association, a conservative Christian advocacy group, started a petition on social media using the hashtag #BoycottTarget, and several users said they supported the boycott.
Roughly 199,000 people signed the petition on The American Family Association's website.
Some users are supporting Target's policy.
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