Walgreens faces right-wing boycott over trans-inclusive bathroom policy
Walgreens (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
US pharmacy chain Walgreens is facing a right-wing boycott after announcing a trans-inclusive bathroom policy.
The store altered its policy after an incident at the Walgreens on Sunset Boulevard, where Jessie Meehan – who is a cisgender woman – was told to use a stall in the men’s room because she looked ‘too masculine’ to go into the female bathroom.
Meehan, who launched a case via the ACLU, did not seek out a financial settlement – instead pressing the store to adopt an LGBT-inclusive bathroom policy across all of its 8,100 stores.
The new policy was rolled out this month and states that customers should be able to use the bathroom that aligns with their preferred gender identity.
But anti-LGBT conservatives have opted to once again wage a war over the issue – having launched a notorious boycott of Target over a similar policy in 2016.
A Walgreens store (Photo by KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)
The American Family Association, the anti-LGBT pressure group which was behind the Target boycott, has now turned its guns on Walgreens.
It has launched a petition which claims: “Walgreens’ store policy endangers women and children by allowing men to frequent women’s restrooms.
“As an example, since a similar public policy was announced by Target Stores, Inc. two years ago, dozens of women and children have been victimized by male predators inside Target stores.
“Walgreens’ new policy could potentially result in female customers becoming victims of voyeurism, sexual assault and physical attack.
“Walgreens must immediately reverse its dangerous policy that allows men unrestricted access into women’s restrooms.”
There have been zero reported incidents of transgender people exploiting LGBT-inclusive bathroom policies in order to commit crimes, anywhere in the world.
Crimes are still against the law even if you legally enter a space to commit them.
But those two points have seemingly evaded the AFA, which had strong ties to Vice President Mike Pence.
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The AFA’s sockpuppet activist group One Million Moms, which has 3,721 mostly-male followers on Twitter, also spoke out.
It claimed: “In a shocking policy announcement, Walgreens has now directed its stores to allow men full and unrestricted access to women’s restrooms in all of its 8,100 stores.
On Nov. 17, 2017, Walgreens distributed this memo stating, ‘All individuals have a right to use restroom facilities that correspond to the individual’s gender identity, regardless of the individual’s sex assigned at birth.’
“The policy came as the result of being pressured by the ACLU of Southern California.
“Since a similar public policy was announced by Target Stores, Inc. two years ago, dozens of women and children have been victimized by male predators inside Target stores.
“Walgreens’ new policy could potentially result in female customers becoming victims of voyeurism, sexual assault and physical attack.”
Walgreens (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Once more, for good measure: Crimes remain illegal.
In 2016 more than a million people pledged to ‘boycott’ Target over its trans-inclusive bathroom policy.
The store came under fire from Christian evangelical groups after publishing a policy clarifying that customers are permitted to use the bathroom which is appropriate to their gender identity.
The policy was standard for most retailers, but the issue quickly grew into a media controversy.
A customer enters a Walgreens store (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The group behind the petition, the American Family Association, also took issue with Target’s LGBT-friendly Pride merchandise.
The AFA lashed out at the store, claiming: “Target appears content with its sprint into self-destruction”.
“Target [has an] all out love affair with the LGBTQ. For the past two years, Target stores have entire sections dedicated to products normalizing homosexuality.
“In many instances, profits from the sale of the products are donated to gay advocacy groups for the promotion of the lifestyle to children in public schools.”
The group added: “While AFA’s boycott [has] focused on Target’s bizarre and dangerous dressing room and bathroom policy, the company has a history of distaste for traditional family values.”
“Pray that Target‘s leadership will realize it gravely misjudged the 1.5 million families who have signed a pledge to boycott its stores.”
