In defiance of a recent law passed in North Carolina prohibiting people from using public bathrooms that do not correspond to their biological sex, retail giant Target has decided to "stand for inclusivity" by allowing customers and staff to use whatever bathroom they feel most comfortable in.
However, Target's decision to accommodate its LGBT customers appeared to have backfired as many customers reacted angrily to the action it took, with some even threatening to boycott the company.
The American Family Association, a conservative Christian advocacy group, started a petition urging people to boycott Target until the bathroom policy is changed, according to Fortune. The group reasoned that Target's reasoning is wrong because it "endangers women and children by allowing men to frequent women's facilities."
Over 383,000 people have already signed the petition since it was first launched. When sought for a comment regarding the issue, Target failed to provide any.
"Inclusivity is a core belief at Target. It's something we celebrate," the company earlier said in a statement. "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."
Target said it supports the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to members of the LGBT community and opposes anything that would discriminate against them. The company believes that it has a responsibility of making sure that everyone—from its staff, customers, and members of the community—will be treated equally in its stores.
"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 company said.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said the state's legislature passed House Bill 2, also dubbed as "anti-LGBT law," because the lawmakers wanted to protect their children from sexual predators.
If the law offended the LGBT community, this was not intended, he added.
"I have come to the conclusion that there is a great deal of misinformation, misinterpretation, confusion, a lot of passion and frankly, selective outrage and hypocrisy, especially against the great state of North Carolina," McCrory said. "I know these actions will not totally satisfy everyone, but the vast majority of our citizens want common sense solutions to complex issues."
McCrory said having a "women's facility and a men's facility" has worked out pretty well over the past years, and he does not see any reason why the government should interfere with that.
