Ken Ham Says 'Target Needs to Hear Jesus' Words,' About Sexes After Allowing Men in Women's Bathrooms
Answers in Genesis CEO and President Ken Ham has said that retail giant Target's recent decision to allow customers to use bathroom and fitting facilities corresponding to their gender identity rather than biological sex is going "against God's Word."
Ham said in a Facebook post on Thursday: "Well, Target needs to hear Jesus' Words: 'Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female?' (Matthew 19:4).
"They need to hear what Jesus said in Mark 10:6: 'But from the beginning of the Creation, God 'made them male and female.'
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"They need to hear that 'God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them,' (Genesis 1:27)."
The comments refer to Target's announcement on Tuesday, which stated:
"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."
The company added that it wants to demonstrate "commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways," and affirmed that it welcomes transgender team members and guests to use the bathroom that corresponds to their identity.
Ham, who often speaks out on controversial social issues in America, argued that Target is failing to understand that God made people male and female for a reason.
"They need to understand that humans aren't inherently good — 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,' (Jeremiah 17:9)," the creationist added.
"They need to read that 'He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them mankind in the day they were created,' (Genesis 5:2)," he continued.
"Target is going against the obvious natural order of things as Romans 1 makes clear — that humans were created male and female."
Target has been moving away from gender-specific barriers for years, and in August 2015 announced that it will no longer separate toys and bedding into boys and girls sections.
"We never want guests or their families to feel frustrated or limited by the way things are presented," the retail giant said back then.
"Over the past year, guests have raised important questions about a handful of signs in our stores that offer product suggestions based on gender. In some cases, like apparel, where there are fit and sizing differences, it makes sense. In others, it may not."
The decision was criticized by the Rev. Franklin Graham, who insisted that it was traditional American families that made Target's stores successful.
"I have news for them and for everyone else — God created two different genders. Jesus said, 'Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female,' (Matthew 19:4)," Graham said at the time, adding, "you can't get any clearer than that."
