KevinH: Do We Boycott Target?
So Michael stole my thunder last week when he wrote about the absurdity that is currently going on in our culture in relation to restrooms and the transgender issue. He hit on several points that I had been thinking about as did some of the ensuing discussion:
– The intimidating presence of political correctness in our society that currently allows one to get away with many insults, but dare not cross into LGBT territory.
– The ridiculousness of allowing biological men into women’s bathrooms.
– That opposition to such has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with sanity and common sense.
– That even just 10 years ago, who on earth thought it was a good idea to allow men free reign to enter women’s restrooms or changing rooms or lockers or showers?
Our politically correct culture has become obsessed with placing the needs, wants, and desires of LGBT individuals and the attending agenda above seemingly all else and demonizing those that won’t do so. You are now a bigot if you’re against anything LGBT related, with the restroom issue being the latest hot topic. This restroom one is complete insanity.
Can any woman say with any measure of honesty that they’re completely fine with men entering into these areas? That they would feel just as safe as when men weren’t allowed in? That they have no concerns about voyeurism, or worse yet, sexual assault? Can any man honestly say they have no concern for their wives, daughters, mothers, or any female in such situations?
The answer, of course, is that nobody can candidly say they have no qualms about such things unless they have altogether abandoned sane thought in the name of some agenda. I am a man. I know my own nature, one which I share with many other men. It is not good. And I know without a shadow of a doubt that if laws and policies allow men into these previously restricted areas, that there will be more than enough men who will do so. And many of them not with good intentions.
The emotional, mental, physical, and psychological trauma and damage suffered by victims of sexual assault are horrific. We are only opening the door for more to occur.
Now, all of this is not to disparage those who legitimately struggle with gender dysphoria. There are people who genuinely feel that they are the opposite gender than what is their biological make-up. I am not a psychologist or anything of the like. I am not able to speak on the subject in a knowledgeable fashion.
But being human and a Christian I can say at least this much….. That transgendered people need to be treated with respect and sensitivity. Their feelings need to be considered and not disregarded. They should be treated with compassion and not as lesser human beings or outcasts of society. They likely aren’t even the ones who would commit wrongdoing in restrooms.
I have never had any conflicted feelings about my gender identity, and so it is hard for me to grasp what it is like for those who do. But at the very least, I imagine it must be a very difficult thing to carry through life. This is all the more reason why as Christians we should be reaching out with love and care in whatever ways we can to those who do have such feelings.
I firmly believe that part of the disdain and pressure being placed on theologically conservative Christians by our society is a backlash against too many years and too many instances where churches, leaders, and laypeople mistreated those of LGBT persuasion and placed too great of an emphasis on LGBT sins.
Now certainly not nearly all conservative Christians have been guilty of such, but nonetheless, too many. Mistreatment happens still even today. So, I think the church is partially culpable for our current environment.
So as Christians where do we go from here? I struggle to find good answers. It’s already been stated that this most recent affair is not even a religious one, but rather a societal one of sanity and common sense. We need to consider the needs and feelings of those who are LGBT, and specifically the transgendered on this one. But at the same time, a society that is willing to prioritize the feelings of a very small percentage over the safety of half the population has lost its anchor of sensibleness.
Do we oppose legislation that will allow men into women’s restrooms? I suppose so, but the way things are going, I sadly think this will be a losing battle as time goes on.
Do we boycott Target?
I personally don’t want my wife and daughters shopping there for purposes of their safety. For me, it’s not a hate thing or even necessarily a desire to boycott, but rather a concern for the welfare of my family.
The history of organized Christian boycotts against corporations in this country I believe have usually proven to be ineffective. Plus, I have a feeling the list is only going to quickly grow of those we will then need to boycott for such reasons.
Additionally, if boycotts would prove to effective to any degree, those who would be most affected would not be the corporate bigwigs but all the “little” people who work at Target or other places in efforts to just make a living. That is something that always need to be considered in such situations, too.
I will try to protect my family. I will try to speak to the restroom issue as rationally and caringly as I can. In our current culture, who knows how well that will go over. And I will pray. For the church and for our society. That God will bring a renewal where we have forsaken Him and forsaken what is right and true. That the church would seek after Him and society would work to rightly consider and balance the needs, wants, and protections of all.
If you got to take a piss..take a piss. You don’t need to worry about the politics. Done.
Christians don’t need to worry about the angle of the dangle.
Is there a difference between Boycotting and just not shopping there any longer.
Boycott seems to imply a threat – “change your ways or I will never shop there again.”
or just walk away as if they stopped carrying your favorite product.?
I am all for walking away quietly.
What will happen when nudist get their initial into the LGBTQIA soup?
Just read this post and, for my part, Kevin has said it all and done so very kindly – well done
I don’t shop at Target. I went recently, in search of a present that was specifically from there. Before that it had probably been 2-3 years since I had been in one. I am just not a fan, and they are not convenient to me.
I also don’t like the politics of most large companies, nor the bullying methods used by both the LBGT+ communities and the corporate demagogues who contort themselves to bow to such bullying.
All that aside, perhaps now if anyone can use any restroom, the lines for the women’s room at Timbers games (and other large public events) will no longer cause me to miss too much of the match. It’s wouldn’t be the first time I’ve snuck in to the Men’s Room because there was no wait. And fwiw, I am a fan of single user uni-bathrooms. It seems to be the most sensible alternative. Or port-a-potties. That works too.
BD- to answer your question #3…. it will just expand to include them, the NAMBLA people and the polyamorous et al….. until being hetero and monogamous will be outlawed and frowned upon.
So, I’m a little curious about the origins of this issue. Is it a case where a transgendered person says, “I think I’m a woman, so I should be able to use the women’s room” or is it more of the stigma from things working the other way around, for example a man who outwardly presents as a woman being hassled for using the men’s room. The first seems like an agenda being pushed, the second seems like a legitimate embarrassment that they would regularly be opened up to.
Not saying that what is being proposed is an answer, but one of those scenarios seems a lot more reason reasonable than the other as a starting point.
People are silly if they don’t think transgender people don’t already use the restroom of their “chosen” gender. If they look the part, who would even notice.
I’m not a fan of this new tend btw. I Don’t think that just because you are different than 99% of society you should have everything your way. However, I am not afraid of some trans person sharing the restroom with me. There are stalls in ladies rooms if there’s more that one toilet. I don’t care who is using the one next to me. It’s not like we are interacting with each other. Unless one of us finds out there’s no toilet paper in our stall. Otherwise, I do my business, wash my hands and move on.
unisex bathrooms are frequently mentioned as a solution…but simply going to the restroom doesn’t seem to be the issue–it is the ‘right’ that is at stake, the show of going where you wish with the blessing of the government, the business, and society as a whole. Most transgender people already appear of the gender they associate with and could quietly attend to their business without notice or fanfare. Making a production out of the function or a show of the go seems to be of overarching concernl.
Boycotting Target simply makes traditional role folks look small and impotent.
dswoager,
I don’t know the origin of the issue. From the scenarios you describe, I do think there is legitimate concern for the second one. As there should be, although I still don’t think it’s nearly reason enough to open up restrooms. However, I believe the big politically correct push to open the restrooms and to demonize those who oppose is very agenda driven.
As an educator, use of the restroom for transgender students is not an issue because students already know who is who regarding identity issues. Further, stalls are pretty private in most restrooms. Non-transgender students are not allowed to use the restroom of their choice. To me, locker room use is more of an issue as there is much less privacy with changing clothing and showering.
London,
You’re probably right about at least some transgender people already using the restroom of their choice. And I don’t think they do or will cause much trouble as I stated in my article. My one concern with such is the confusion and/or fear it could cause in children who would see them.
My big concern, however, is in the men who are not transgendered at all but will claim as such for the opportunity to enter the women’s room. They are the ones that will cause trouble.
fil,
Yes locker rooms would be an even bigger concern for me and we’re probably heading that way. As for restroom trouble, I don’t think it will be an epidemic of wrongdoing occurring. However, even just one instance of voyeurism or certainly sexual assault that would occur due to the allowed openness of restrooms is one too many.
Frankly, society has more to fear from heterosexual men/boys who are predatory or those who appear heterosexual and prey on young boys. Our eye is off the ball if we scrutinize LGBT folks at the exclusion of those who hide in plain sight.
recently I read of a former youth minister who was sentenced for over 50 acts of rape and sexual abuse, etc. perpetrated on two girls from his church…many of which happened on church grounds and youth trips. It didn’t happen when he snuck into the girls bathroom…
I’m boycotting Target cause they are too expensive.
fil,
You’re right that these types of abuses are much greater in number and will continue to be so even if all the restrooms are opened up.
To me, the easy solution is to not open up an avenue for additional abuses to occur. The harder solution is fighting to cut back the abuses the much more numerous abuses that already occur. We should be spending much more time in working on the hard solutions. Unfortunately, our current culture is wanting to take the easy solution and turn that one into a hard fight, too.
I’d say parents should be even more aware. Keep your eyes open. Pay attention to your instincts. Try to find secure locations for your children to use the restroom.
I’m not so concerned about the trans people in this equation, just the fact that big changes are happening, and people are acting irrationally. I don’t want either of my children to be a victim of someone’s political stunt.
issues of gender identity are real and are not simply a modern phenomenon. Taking a compassionate view, especially for children and teens, and seeking to more fully understand and assist them, seems to be more productive than labelling them as perverts or wackos.
If I am not mistaken, the policy is that anyone can go to any bathroom now. Identity is not even the issue. A man can go into a woman’s bathroom. End of sentence. Target can and will do nothing to stop it.
I do not believe I am in error on this. At least that is definitely how many Targets apparently think they are to apply the new policy.
And that of course is what is “new” as opposed to transgenders using bathrooms in the past years….
I honestly see this as much ado about nothing. It’s not as though this issue has just come upon us in recent history. There have been transgendered people probably since the beginning of time. The slippery slope argument is a moot one as has been shown by the fact that even though gays have been allowed to marry, there hasn’t been a huge influx of people trying to marry animals.
There has probably been men sneaking into women’s restrooms for ages. Yes, it’s deviant behavior, But, as I pointed out the other day, and Gomergirl has affirmed, there are women who use the men’s room all the time because the line is shorter. Should we put guards at the bathroom doors and check everyone’s anatomy before they go in?
I would venture to say that all that most of the transgendered people want is not to be discriminated against. What if the government tried to say white Christians couldn’t do A or B? Nobody wants to be discriminated against.
fil, I agree on your # 19.
Steve,
At the very least, my understanding is that Target will not stop you from using a restroom opposite of your biological gender if you simply say that you identity as the opposite sex. Even if there are no outward signs that you identify as such. From some of the Target stories, it would seem that they won’t question anyone, period. I’m not sure what the details are of their “official” policy. I don’t know if an official spokesman for Target has clarified the exact details.
if you simply say…
Since there is hardly anyone guarding the doors, I guess that would just be after the fact.
If you are going to have a policy like this, why would anyone at Target dare to ask anybody and just invite more trouble (and lawsuits).
I’ve seen videos from people that claim they just talked to a manager at their local Target, and that person made clear to them that anyone can use any restroom they want.
Which is a super dumb rule. But I don’t go for boycotts. I only go in Target once or twice a year, and like I said I would make sure my kids used the restroom elsewhere.
This is just one more way for society to marginalize and demean women and put the interests of men ahead of those of women. You can already find cases of women who have been abused by men who have taken advantage of these new trans rights. But, whether or not any woman or child ends up being victimized as a result of these law and policy changes, at its heart it demeans women as a whole and eats away at our dignity. I reject the notion that these men are women and I reject the notion that their subjective understanding of themselves should be accepted by me or by society as a whole. I think that if we must accept transgender people as the gender they identify that, at a minimum, they need to fully undergo gender reassignment surgery before they get to enjoy all the privileges that come with their self-professed gender.
Kevin said he was not a psychologist or able to speak about gender identity issues in a knowledgeable fashion. This is an article by Paul McHugh, the former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins. he surely is qualified to talk about such matters. http://www.firstthings.com/article/2004/11/surgical-sex
Good article Kevin! I agree with you that boycotts generally don’t work. A more Alinski-type protest would be for people who object to still shop at Target, but when they need to relieve themselves, do so in the private dressing rooms. I’m not advocating this, of course. But it would certainly get more attention than boycotting a dumpy store like Target.
Dave R – that’s funny. I was going to suggest earlier that everyone pee on aisle 6. No meaning to the aisle number, but just that they would know it was a protest pee and just not an daily ordinary pee in the aisle.
Oh wait — that’s WalMart. 🙂
the dressing room of your preferred gender, I’m sure…
i think that those of us who are concerned (parents have never sent their pre-teen children into any restroom without concern BTW) we should start demanding single toilet restrooms – no one is in there, but you (and yours)… no more group potty rooms period.
as has been observed a time or two here … this is madness and i, too, don’t think it really has much to do with the gender confused, who’ve managed somehow to relieve themselves until now … the dressing/shower rooms is a whole nother set of problems, but should be pretty easy to spot the fakes in the ladies’ showers 🙂
I don’t mind saying it – what we used to think of as just the gay agenda has always been a move by the more liberal in our society (and their acronym friends) to go down the avenue toward acceptable pedophilia. No doubt in my mind.
But get used to it – we are a country of insane idiots – Remember when Palin was the biggest moron in the country – and now she looks sane with Trump running for President.
Trump supporters are no more thinking Americans than the pedophile supporters.
As Lindsay Graham said – we have gone bat sh*t crazy.
I so wish someone would stop BG at CCV. Meanest man ever, take a look at the dwindling church
Gee. The conservative Christian world blows it again.
I get the transgender bathroom thing…
but hey, how about a little more attention to the real problem — heterosexual Christian pervs.
Like Denny Hastert– Wheaton College grad and former Republican House leader…Larry Craig…the list goes on. You catch my drift.
What a bunch of hypocrisy.
I think our society as a whole does not take sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape as seriously as it should. If a woman files a complaint at all–and most don’t–our response to it is frequently to point out all the ways in which the victim set herself up to be victimized and then to decide that the case isn’t strong enough to warrant even bringing it to court. When society’s mindset is that it is the responsibility of an individual to keep themselves out of situations in which they could be raped or assaulted, then it is particularly egregious to create a law or policy that basically allows men to enter women’s bathrooms with impunity, because you’re just eating away a little more at what tiny amount of safety the women and children who use that bathroom have. You’re basically telling them that they should think it is normal and safe to use a bathroom or a locker room right along side men–that they shouldn’t complain or feel unsafe. You’re basically wearing down and dulling their boundaries and causing them to be less aware of the threats that they do face.
Obviously, stranger rape and assault is low on the list of dangers that women and children face, but (a) why intentionally increase the risk and (b) I would think people who routinely are required to accept as normal and non-threatening something that is highly abnormal are more likely to overlook abnormal and unsafe situations elsewhere in their lives.
It’s ridiculous how difficult it is in this country for rape victims to find justice or for perpetrators of sexual crimes to be properly dealt with. We should really deal with that before we start talking about opening women’s bathrooms and locker rooms up to men who say they feel like women.
Luke and Janet – Do you see the impossible standard you are holding Christians to?
“Fix everything else before you worry about this!”
You could say that to every single person in the world about everything they ever do. Completely unfair.
J2 has made all good points in this thread.
Josh, I concur about j2.
I agree with Josh about Luke & Janet – I can’t even fix me, let alone another person.
Public policy is another issue (say gender restrooms, gay marriage etc) – as a tool to control the sinful behavior in a society. You will note that Hastert is in jail – I don’t remember what happened to Craig – and the Gender Benders are asking for full acceptance of their sin.
Yikes, I said it – even the gender confused are in sin.
My wife and daughter went shopping at Target last evening to pick up some formula for my grandson.
When they got back home, I teased them a bit for daring to shop at such a controversial store.
But rather than gripe about bathrooms, my daughter was a little bent out of shape because Target wouldn’t honor a coupon (which had no restrictions) for baby food because it was in powder form.
Now they’ve really done it!
MLD, it’s also worth noting that Hastert is not in jail because of his sex crimes but because he violated banking rules. Our county’s judicial system has jailed this man for withdrawing money that legally belongs to him and that he is legally allowed to withdraw because he withdrew it in a way that regulators have decided that they don’t like while at the same time it was incapable of bringing charges against him for molesting a minor.
Larry Craig paid $575, served out his term in the Senate, and professes his innocence to this day.
Yeah, for a perv, Denny Hastert sure was a creative guy. He told one victim that he could lose weight if Denny would give him a massage. Sheesh.
FWIW – Hastert’s crimes against the students were beyond the statute of limitation to prosecute… we hear about every pervert who has any affiliation with any branch of the Faith when they’re caught, but i’m betting there are more trusted and upright with ties to no faith at all that are not getting caught… quite a few female teachers have been caught recently – males also … i suspect that anywhere we trust adults with our children there is and always has been a risk… i do not get this sort of perversion at all, but i suspect is a generational perpetuated curse – anathema of the highest order…
So, in the name of “Christ” this sad excuse for a man who masquerades as a christian “pastor” wants us to do whaaaat?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/04/29/1521456/-Pastor-says-why-not-pee-on-your-local-Target-s-floor-to-protest-their-transgender-policy?detail=facebook
The will know we are christians by our…
“The will know we are christians by our…”
…worst representatives?
I can’t stand Starbucks. I regard them as a propaganda machine for the gay agenda, thinly disguised as a coffee cafe. But I do use their bathrooms. In fact, I go out of my way to use their bathrooms. Xenia-style boycott. 🙂
How soon before this “pastor” Rick Wiles becomes the latest poster boy/hero for the cultural wars on the Christian Post?
http://cartoonpolitics.tumblr.com/image/143588571470
Dan – Maybe more like the new Fred Phelps.
Josh, I don’t think the CP would even touch that one!