New 'Boycott Target' campaign launched; AFA targets Back-to-School season over transgender bathroom policy

Conservative group American Family Association (AFA) urged American consumers to join them this back-to-school season to boycott retail giant Target as "frightening incidences" arise due to its inclusive bathroom policy.

AFA marked the new season on the first day of August with a new drive to garner another million signatures to force the retail company to abandon its bathroom policy.

Employees work at a Target store at St. Albert, Alberta, January 15, 2015. | REUTERS/Dan Riedlhuber

"Target is dependent on a large back-to-school sales season," said AFA on its website. "Those who spend their money elsewhere will send a strong message to Target that the bathroom policy is bad for business."

In April, Target announced its new inclusive bathroom policy that allows employees and customers to use bathrooms and changing facilities based on their gender identification rather than their biological sex.

AFA considered the company's bathroom policy as "dangerous" for women and girls and that it only "opens the door to predators." The group then launched its first signature petition for the boycott Target campaign which amassed 1.3 million pledges.

However, AFA noted that Target remained adamant on its bathroom policy.

"[W]e welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity. ... Everyone deserves to feel like they belong," AFA quoted Target as saying on its website this spring.

"Not only does the loss of shoppers not matter but apparently, neither does news like what happened in a New Hampshire Target store matter either," wrote AFA President Tim Wildmon last month.

His statement came after Chief John Bryfonski of New Hampshire's Bedford Police confirmed the arrest of 22-year-old Zachery Bishop for allegedly recording juvenile girls as they changed in a dressing room of a Target store.

AFA created a Target page where it posted links to reports from different media outlets concerning incidences that Target's bathroom policy led to, including the incident in New Hampshire.

The conservative group also urged American consumers to take action in several ways, such as signing the pledge, printing their petition paper and passing it around, sharing the campaign's information on social media, voicing concerns on Target's official Facebook page and visiting AFA's website for further #BoycottTarget initiative.