How committed are those who are boycotting Target?

[Guest Mia J]

The AFA now has over half a million signatures for people who are going to boycott Target because of their inclusive transgender policies. If they are truly committed to supporting only anti-inclusive businesses they need to boycott a lot more than just Target.

The HRC has listed 407 businesses that have scored 100 percent on inclusion and support with most of them very big name. Looks like there is not going to be many places they can go or services they can use.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/26/all-the-things-you-can-no-longer-buy-if-you-re-really-boycotting-trans-friendly-businesses.html?source=TDB&via=FB_Page

Mia

[Carolyn Marie]

Signing a petition is easy. Permanently giving up your favorite store is hard. The next time I stop by my Target store, I intend to talk to the manager, and tell him/her how much I appreciate their principles.

Carolyn Marie

[Tejana]

Signing a petition is easy. Permanently giving up your favorite store is hard. The next time I stop by my Target store, I intend to talk to the manager, and tell him/her how much I appreciate their principles.

Carolyn Marie

Hhmmm....I just checked the website, and it shows over 900,000 signatures. I heartily concur with the sentiment that signing a petition is quite easy, but I suspect that giving up shopping at Target (or Kroger which I've heard has a similar RR policy) is likely not difficult for a great many signatories of said petition. Target is not a favorite shopping place for a great many folks for a variety of reasons, some of which have been headline news over the past few years, and there's so many places that are not proxemic to Target stores (e.g., I live about 35-40 miles from the nearest Target or Kroger stores).

The presumption that folks who signed said petition are predominantly (or even regular) Target shoppers is likely not correct. Folks who seldom or even never shop at Target can sign this petition, but it is unlikely that Target can easily determine (at least in a cost-effective manner) how many of them are regular Target Shoppers.

If I had to wage money on it, I'd be tempted to place a sporting bet that Target will publicly retract it's new RR-policy (& new logo) and find another way to accommodate the needs (if not the sensibilities) of it's ts/tg customers. In terms of logistics/damage-control, I don't think they can just do a quiet reversal.

The foregoing is just my opinion, and it's one in which I'm not highly invested. Right now I'm admiring Target's steadfastness, which is in keeping with my belief that a private business should have the right to set it's own policies and letting the marketplace determine the viability/profitability of its business decisions.

[Guest Clair Dufour]

With a US population of 320 Million. 900 Thousand is small percent of people and companies like Target and Kroger know it. They also know that that they have more to gain by being inclusive rather than excluding.

[JJ]

The last I knew the petitions has no provisions against robot signing -no code or verification process-server there could actually only a small number of real humans with robot capacity involved as I suspect Target is aware

[Guest Jamie61]

I don't normally shop at target because it's not as convienent as some others, however I feel that I should take some of my business to target and hopefully offset at least one boycotter. I very much appreciate these companies who standup for equality and against those who would reduce other people.

[Guest Lizzie McTrucker]

I believe Walmart allows this, too. But maybe it's just for transgender employees, but one would think if they allow employees, they would allow customers?

[Bulldog1948]

THe really interesting part in the 7th or 8th paragrapth. paragraph. But, you'll get a little chuckle when you read how the law plays out.

All I can say is that these people are freakin nuts!!!!!!!!!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alabama-city-passes-transgender-bathroom-ordinance-102228524.html

[Guest Promethea]

Probably not enough.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/26/all-the-things-you-can-no-longer-buy-if-you-re-really-boycotting-trans-friendly-businesses.html

[JJ]

Sometimes it feels like the whole world is against us because these haters are so loud and so prolific but the extent of the North Carolina backlash as well as companies like Target and WalMart coming out for us - and all the companies on the above list demonstrate that the bigots and haters are indeed a small minority in spite of their attempts to make it appear otherwise.

We have come a very long way very fast. The attitudes of some older people just won't change that rapidly or at all but the majority of younger people are accepting -including the 20 somethings that I fervently hope turn out to vote in this election. If they do the political climate -and the social climate- will be radically different in a positive way for all LGBT people.

But the haters - the Evangelicals and tea party types - know what is at stake and WILL be voting. No matter who gets the nomination we HAVE to vote against the GOP candidates. All of the support from Target and others ca be outlawed if the liberals don't turn out and make sure the progress is not lost and the people behind all this hate and negativity aren't sent home.

Johnny

Johnny

[Guest Alicia Rose]

I'm proud to work for Super Target and know they care. We've had LGBT Awareness posters in our employee break room before.

[Guest Melissa~]

I need to mentionthat these are the exact same people that were already "boycotting" Target over the toy aisle... Puleease.

[Tejana]

The AFA petition has now surpassed 1 million signatures.

I have also heard that Target's stock prices have reportedly dropped, but I doubt that this is the result of the result of folks boycotting Target. I strongly suspect that the drop in stock value (< $3/share) simply results from diminishing investor confidence. I hear that Target is not worried though, and that they stand firm on their restroom/fitting-room policy.

I have no idea how many of the signatories are truly committed in boycotting Target, but I do believe that they are fully committed to seeing a retraction/revision of Target's restroom/fitting-room policy.

It seems that the ts/tg communities have been almost simultaneously circling the wagons while launching attacks at those that some of us consider to be ignorant, phobic, and hateful low-life's. Perhaps it's time to negotiate a peace treaty that will accommodate all stake holders. It would appear to me that a company who's overall worth is still estimated to be approaching nearly $49 billion (even with the recent loss in market value) could make changes in its facilities that would satisfy both cis-and-tg/ts factions. Perhaps it's time to approach Target about providing said facility-changes.

I think that this will be my last post for awhile. As always, it's been interesting. Via con dios.

[JJ]

A news agency did an investigation about how easy it was to sign multiple times and with fictitious info. As expected there are no requirements or limitations which makes the petition meaningless.

I do like the irony that the petition is hosted through a company with a Trans bathroom policy as inclusive as Target. As is Walmart and McDonald's officially. Don't see people putting up petitions to boycott Facebook or McDonald's or Walmart because that would actually be inconvenient for the few who might actually mean it

[JJ]

A news agency did an investigation about how easy it was to sign multiple times and with fictitious info. As expected there are no requirements or limitations which makes the petition meaningless.

I do like the irony that the petition is hosted through a company with a Trans bathroom policy as inclusive as Target. As is Walmart and McDonald's officially. Don't see people putting up petitions to boycott Facebook or McDonald's or Walmart because that would actually be inconvenient for the few who might actually mean it