American Family Association: Keep the Pressure on Target This Christmas Shopping Season

The Target boardroom probably isn’t very merry this month.

Last week, business outlets were reporting that Target stock has taken a huge 23 percent plunge since last quarter, and to the American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net), that sends the strong message that more than a million families who made the #BoycottTarget pledge are holding true to their stance.

Over two and a half years ago, AFA began urging families to boycott Target over the retailer’s dangerous and misguided restroom and fitting room policy. Still today, the family organization is hoping shoppers will hold firm to their convictions that men have no place in women’s restrooms and dressing rooms.

 “On December 12, with 12 days left before Christmas Eve, Target stock opened at 67.85, which was significantly down from a 52-week high of 90.39,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. “These numbers show that recent, heightened boycott efforts are making a real difference, so we must continue our pledge not to shop at Target stores, neither in store nor online, especially through the Christmas shopping season, due to the corporation’s extremely faulty policies that are not safe for women and children. Shopping there just isn’t worth the risk, and 1.5 million families have agreed. We don’t take this effort lightly, and as long as the company continues to demonstrate this lack of safety, dangerous policies and company revenues that support unsafe practices, AFA will continue to urge shoppers to boycott Target.”

 AFA is providing three convincing reasons not to shop at Target for Christmas gifts this month.

1. Sexual Predators: Despite Target’s denial that men entering women’s rooms is an issue, the reality remains that it is a major problem. And there is proof. For example, this fall at a Target store in Woburn, Massachusetts, a man followed a 10-year-old girl into the women’s restroom and offered her candy, commented on her clothing and reportedly tried to get into the stall the little girl was using. After calling the police, the family left terrified. AFA has documented at least 10 other recent cases in which women and children have been exploited by sexual predators inside Target stores because Target allows men who say they identify as women into women’s restrooms and fitting rooms.
    
2. Target is hoping shoppers don’t care. Target wants families to overlook its dangerous policy and is hoping they won’t care that the retailer allows men into women’s bathrooms and changing rooms and will do Christmas shopping there anyway. But AFA knows families do care and are more interested in safety and protection than convenience, and simply won’t put their families at risk.
    
3. Stay the course for maximum impact. Any company as large as Target can withstand a short-term loss in sales. Families who are choosing to shop elsewhere are making a difference. Target is banking on this Christmas season to turn around the trend for the remainder of 2018.

“As AFA has stated many times,” Wildmon added, “our worries do not stem from fear of the transgender community, 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.”

 Especially through the end of the calendar year, AFA is asking shoppers to take action in these three ways:

1. Share information about #BoycottTarget with friends and family: www.afa.net/Target
    
2. Voice opinions and concerns politely but firmly on Target’s Facebook page and other social media sites using #BoycottTarget.
    
3. Call Target headquarters at 612-304-6073 and personally let them know you are boycotting stores.

American Family Association is available to do immediate breaking news interviews via its LTN line at AFA studio headquarters. Contact Media@HamiltonStratetgies.com for information or call 610.584.1096, ext. 102.

For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or on Twitter @AmericanFamAssc. Read more about AFA.