Business Insider reports that Target CEO Brian Cornell is resolute in his support of the company's position on transgender bathrooms, despite the fact that more than a million people have signed a boycott pledge as a result.
The company announced its policy - saying that its shoppers and employees were free to use the bathroom facilities matching their gender identities rather than the gender of their birth - in response to a North Carolina law prohibiting such accommodations in public places and banning any local communities from offering them on their own.
While critics of Target's policy have said that it puts women at risk of being victimized by sexual predators, Cornell promised that the company will "continue to embrace our belief of diversity and inclusion" while making sure our commitment to safety is unwavering." He said that most Target stores have family restrooms and that the company is working to make sure they all do, in order to reassure customers.
According to the story, "Cornell likened the public backlash against Target to when the retailer started used African American models in advertising in the mid 1960s. 'Back then it wasn’t well received, but sitting here today we know we made the right decision,' Cornell said."
The company announced its policy - saying that its shoppers and employees were free to use the bathroom facilities matching their gender identities rather than the gender of their birth - in response to a North Carolina law prohibiting such accommodations in public places and banning any local communities from offering them on their own.
While critics of Target's policy have said that it puts women at risk of being victimized by sexual predators, Cornell promised that the company will "continue to embrace our belief of diversity and inclusion" while making sure our commitment to safety is unwavering." He said that most Target stores have family restrooms and that the company is working to make sure they all do, in order to reassure customers.
According to the story, "Cornell likened the public backlash against Target to when the retailer started used African American models in advertising in the mid 1960s. 'Back then it wasn’t well received, but sitting here today we know we made the right decision,' Cornell said."
- KC's View:
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On a practical level, Cornell and Target can't back down. It is just not possible.
Now, I suspect that at some level they may be asking themselves if they could've handled the situation differently. And I have to imagine that they're also a little nervous about whether a boycott may impact the numbers, especially since Target is trying to regain lost momentum after a number of years of missteps and disappointing results.
