Rev. Franklin Graham has been highly supportive of North Carolina's House Bill 2, which prohibits cities from enacting ordinances that will allow people to use public bathrooms based on their preferred gender. He lauds the state's bravery to protect women and children from sexual predators, even though the leaders of the state continue to face criticisms and threats left and right because of this law.
In opposition to the state's decision, retail giant Target recently decided that it would allow people to use whatever bathrooms they choose inside its stores in order to promote "inclusivity."
Unfortunately for Target, the plan backfired because more than a million people (1,104,505 signers to the American Family Association (AFA) petition as of Saturday evening) have now pledged to boycott its stores.
"Target is putting its shareholders – and its customers – at risk!" Graham wrote on his Facebook page. "Target certainly has the prerogative to make this decision, but it's proving to be bad for business. I'm glad people are standing up and letting them know this is wrong."
Graham lauded the AFA for opposing the policy and starting the petition to boycott Target, saying the retail company's policy will only encourage sexual predators to prey on women and children.
"A man shouldn't be able to enter the women's restroom or dressing room because he says he 'feels like a woman today.' That's ridiculous," said Graham. "The fact is, gender identity isn't something we choose or feel."
The evangelist stressed that God created people to be male or female, and their feelings cannot change the facts.
Meanwhile, the AFA suggests that Target should scrap its new policy and instead build a bathroom specifically for their transgender customers. "One solution is a common-sense approach and a reasonable solution to the issue of transgendered customers: a unisex bathroom," it says. "Target should keep separate facilities for men and women, but for the trans community and for those who simply like using the bathroom alone, a single occupancy unisex option should be provided."
