Boycott Target Over Gender-Neutral Bathrooms

By Michael Brown, Op-ed Contributor Monday, April 25, 2016

People are seen in front of a Target store in Delta, British Columbia January 15, 2015. | (Photo: REUTERS/BEN NELMS)

Should we boycott companies that support LGBT activism?

Well, if we decided to boycott every company that did, it would be almost impossible to live and function in America today.

We'd just about have to switch off our computers, turn in our cell phones, and walk instead of drive a car or fly.

We'd have to stop shopping at lots of our favorite stores, stop eating at lots of our favorite restaurants, and stop using our favorite credit cards.

Michael Brown holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries. He is the author of 25 books and hosts the nationally syndicated, daily talk radio show, the Line of Fire.

But there are times when a company crosses a line and when we have to say: In good conscience, we cannot give you our business.

By making its bathrooms and dressing rooms gender-neutral, Target has crossed that line.

That's why the American Family Association's call to boycott Target garnered more than half a million signatures within its first week.

People have said, "Enough is enough!" — and for good reason.

Just think: Target has declared war on gender.

Last year, Target announced that it was doing away with boy's toys and girl's toys.

Instead, all toy aisles are now gender neutral, since Target didn't want to promote gender-stereotyping — as if it's bad to say that most boys prefer GI Joe toys to Little Princess toys or most girls prefer doll houses to nerf guns or girls like pink and boys like blue.

In their own words, "In the Toys aisles, we'll also remove reference to gender, including the use of pink, blue, yellow or green paper on the back walls of our shelves."

So, Target will offend the vast majority of its customers rather than offend a handful of customers who have a problem with gender distinctions.

This is cultural madness.

Now Target has gone even further, imposing the struggles of less than 1 percent of the population on the rights of the other 99 percent.

To add insult to injury, a Target rep on Facebook suggested that those who had a problem with this could use the handicapped bathroom!

So, rather than telling the less than 1 percent who struggle with their gender identity to use the handicapped bathroom, Target is telling them to use the larger, men and ladies bathrooms, while telling the 99 percent to use the single handicapped facility.

This is just plain insanity.

It's like the elementary school that announced that next year, little Johnny would be coming to school as Jane, and if any students or parents or teachers had a problem with this, the school would offer them free counseling.

They should have offered free counseling to Johnny!

And remember: This was Target's official statement: "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."

In reality, what Target means is this: "Exclusivity is a core belief at Target, and if you don't accept our radical transgender activism, you will not feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day — in particular, if you don't want to expose your kids to grown men in the ladies' rooms or you're uncomfortable sharing a fitting room with someone of the opposite sex."

Target has crossed a line, and that's why millions of Americans will soon be saying to Target, "We used to love shopping in your stores, but your radical activism and your scorning of our concerns has driven us away."

Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is The Grace Controversy. Connect with him on Facebook or Twitter.