Target Continues to Miss the Target *

Will Target ever get smart?  Another danger has occurred in another Target store, this time in Chicago.  Police say a man exposed himself to a little girl in the women’s restroom on March 31st, when he entered a stall and told her to leave.  A spokesman for Target said the man, who has not been identified, was intoxicated.

Target’s corporate headquarters has been in a 2-year battle with the Mississippi-based American Family Association (AFA) after Target publicized its “inclusive” pro-transgender policy that allows men who identify as women to use the women-only facilities in stores.

Already known for its public support of progressive liberal causes, including homosexual activism, Target executives publicized the store policy when the issue of transgenders and restrooms was making national headlines.  AFA warned Target at the time, however, that straight men could use the liberal policy to prey on unsuspecting female customers, and to date such incidents have been documented by local media at Target stores in Texas, Oregon, Tennessee, Idaho, New Jersey, California, and other states.  AFA also launched a boycott of Target stores that topped a million online signatures in under a week. 

In a news story about the Target store incident, NBC News Chicago said police warned the public that parents should always be cautious of their surroundings, including in public restrooms.  AFA spokesman Walker Wildmon questions why such a warning would be made, when Target has publicly stated that it is not monitoring who enters the women’s restrooms.  “According to Target’s policy, if the mother or daughter had objected to this man entering the women’s restroom, they couldn’t have,” he points out.  “They would have no standing, because according to Target’s policy, men can access women’s restrooms and changing rooms.”  Until that policy changes, he adds, every female customer is vulnerable to sexual predators.

The news story also included public reaction to the incident including one person who called the incident “evil” and another who said the man was wrong for entering the women’s restroom.  “It’s sad,” said another customer, “that we have to be fearful for our children to go to the women’s restroom.”

“If you were to poll the American public, nearly everyone would say, men need to go to men’s rooms, women need to go to women’s rooms,” says Wildmon.  “That’s basic common sense and Target is defying common sense.”

*The New Testament Greek word for “sin” means “missing the mark” or “off the mark.”

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel