1.5 Million Wage War on Controversial Retailer

The American Family Association’s (AFA, www.afa.net) #BoycottTarget initiative has officially hit 1.5 million signatures.

Now, just days away from the one-year mark when the American Family Association boycott began, AFA President Tim Wildmon is preparing to deliver another 500,000 signatures to Target executives at the retailer’s headquarters in Minneapolis. Last spring, the first million signatures were delivered, and AFA met briefly with Target leaders, who were uninterested in changing its potentially dangerous bathroom and fitting room policy.

“The American Family Association’s Target boycott has wreaked internal havoc at Target,” Wildmon said. “Out-of-touch executives incorrectly assumed that the backlash and public relations nightmare would die down, but we can see today—with plummeting stock prices and decreased traffic in stores—that it certainly has not.

“Together with our friends and supporters, we are making an unprecedented financial impact on a corporation whose policy is to allow men to use women’s restrooms and dressing rooms,” Wildmon added. “Target’s decision is unacceptable for families, and its dangerous and misguided policy continues to put women and children in harm’s way.”

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal published a damaging story that told of the internal turmoil the policy announcement and subsequent boycott has caused at Target. According to the article, Target CEO Brian Cornell expressed frustration about how the bathroom policy was publicized without his permission or knowledge, and told colleagues he wouldn’t have approved the decision to flaunt it with a public statement that is still on Target’s website today.

“Now,” Wildmon added, “I am planning to personally return to Target headquarters in Minneapolis with an additional 500,000 names. I will discuss how Target can invite 1.5 million AFA supporters back to its stores by having a common-sense bathroom and dressing room policy that links use of these rooms to a person’s biological sex so that predators no longer have a method to prey on innocent victims.”

But boycott efforts won’t stop at the 1.5 million mark and will continue until Target changes its policy and offers a plan that keeps everyone safe. AFA is urging those concerned to the sign #BoycottTarget pledge to reach the next important threshold—2 million signatures.

• SIGN—#BoycottTarget pledge
• SHARE—Ask family, friends and church members to sign the pledge. One effective strategy is to voice concerns politely but firmly on Target’s Facebook page and other social media sites using #BoycottTarget.
• VOICE concerns on Target’s Facebook page or call Target to politely let its executives know you’ve signed the#BoycottTarget pledge—Guest Relations, (800) 440-0680, option 1, then 1 again.

“As AFA has stated many times, our worries do not stem from fear of the transgender community,” added Wildmon, “but rather, from both the real and potential threat that predators and voyeurs would take advantage of the Target bathroom policy to harm women and children—and there are plenty of incidents to show that they have.” {eoa}