A Target boycott pledge started by the American Family Association last week over the retailer's transgender restroom policy had collected more than 864,000 signatures as of Wednesday, making it one of the organization's most successful campaigns to date.
According to USA Today, the nonprofit, which focuses on what it considers traditional family issues, began the Target boycott on April 20 after the department store said it would welcome transgender people to use restrooms and fitting rooms that correspond to their gender identity.
"We believe that everyone — every team member, every guest, and every community — deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally,"
Target said in a statement on April 19. "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," the statement continued.
The American Family Association wrote on its website that Target's policy invited sexual predators.
"Clearly, Target's dangerous new policy poses a danger to wives and daughters," the association stated on its site. "We think many customers will agree. And we think the average Target customer is willing to pledge to boycott Target stores until it makes protecting women and children a priority."
Tim Wildmon, the president of the American Family Association, told USA Today that they were excited about the boycott pledge.
"This is the best response we've ever had this quick," Wildmon said, adding that the department store will continue to lose customers with its position on restrooms. "Everybody knows who Target is, and it's an easy-to-understand issue."
Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder said that the company is steadfast on its transgender position.
"We certainly respect that there are a wide variety of perspectives and opinions," Snyder said. "As a company that firmly stands behind what it means to offer our team an inclusive place to work — and our guests an inclusive place to shop — we continue to believe that this is the right thing for Target."
The debate over transgender people and restrooms reached a peak last month when North Carolina passed a law requiring people to use public restrooms based on the gender listed on their birth certificates. The law has sparked boycotts from companies like Pay Pal and musicians like Bruce Springsteen.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.