***NEWS RELEASE***
For Immediate Release
May 23, 2017
CONTACT:
Beth Harrison, Hamilton Strategies, 610.584.1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, or Deborah Hamilton, 215.815.7716 or 610.584.1096, ext. 102
American Family Association Hand-Delivers Another Half Million Boycott Signatures to Target Headquarters
More Than 1.5 Million Have Now Pledged to #BoycottTarget; Retailer Struggles Financially While Still Refusing to Change Bathroom Policy
TUPELO, Miss.—This afternoon, American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) President Tim Wildmon hand-delivered another 500,000 #BoycottTarget pledge signatures to Target headquarters in Minneapolis, after which AFA leadership briefly met with Target senior management about the retailer’s dangerous and misguided restroom and fitting room policy that puts women and children at risk.
Last spring, AFA delivered the first 1 million signatures to Target leaders, who politely but passively listened to AFA’s concerns over the policy. The past year since that first meeting has been a dismal one for the retailer, with revenues falling and stock prices plummeting.
“American Family Association is again appreciative that Target representatives were willing to accept the signatures of another 500,000 Americans who are alarmed by this ongoing policy,” Wildmon said. “Yet, even after the retail chain struggled with multiple negative headlines over their sinking sales this past year, Target gave no indication it would make any changes to this policy that is alienating millions of families.”
After AFA’s delivery of the first million signatures last year, Target stated it would add single-stall restrooms in stores not already equipped with them, but has otherwise not altered the policy.
“Therefore,” Wildmon continued, “AFA’s #BoycottTarget campaign will continue as strong as it began, and we are confident that tens of thousands more will join the movement and voice their concerns over Target’s policy. We will not back down from this very destructive and agenda-driven policy and will continue to fight for the more than 1.5 million Americans who have already signed the #BoycottTarget pledge.
“Most importantly,” he added, “we ask that all who agree with AFA’s #BoycottTarget pledge remain committed to not visiting Target stores or shopping online through Target.com. Target’s financial numbers have shown that these families who have chosen to shop elsewhere are making a huge difference.”
Last week, the embattled retailer announced its 2017 first-quarter earnings. Target’s same-store sales fell 1.3 percent, while overall revenue in the first quarter dropped 1.1 percent from the same period a year ago, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. This translates to millions of dollars in lost business for five out of the last six quarters.
After the earnings announcement, Wildmon noted that leadership problems abound at Target, with stockholders seemingly questioning whether the company is in qualified hands. In fact, just one person in CEO Brian Cornell’s 10-member original executive team remains employed at Target. Additionally, Cornell’s already-generous cash-and-stock compensation was recently slashed by one-third.
Target also recently unveiled the second annual “#TakePride” campaign—just in time for June’s Pride Month—to express its support for the LGBT community and promote rainbow-themed online merchandise, according to the article, “Target launches gay pride promotional campaign amid boycott over its transgender bathroom policy,” in The Christian Times.
“For the second year in a row, the retail giant is using the ‘#TakePride’ hashtag on social media to promote an array of rainbow-colored merchandise such as t-shirts, swim trunks, flip-flops, headphones, iPhone cases and an assortment of other products emblazoned with LBGT logos,” The Christian Times reported.
And Target’s executive vice president and chief corporate social responsibility officer told the UK outlet Pink News: “We’re making our message loud and clear: Target proudly stands with the LGBT community, both as a team member and team player through all that we do.”
AFA is urging those who want to join the more than 1.5 million who have already signed the #BoycottTarget pledge to take action in several ways:
- Make a comment on Target’s Facebook page here.
- Share this tweet on Twitter:
Hey @Target, men don’t belong in women’s restrooms and changing areas. #BoycottTarget http://bit.ly/2q3wUnJ - Call your local manager and politely remind them that you are still boycotting Target.
Find local Target store numbers here.
“As AFA has stated many times,” Wildmon concluded, “our worries do not stem from fear of the transgender community, but rather, from both the real and potential threat that predators and voyeurs would take advantage of the Target bathroom policy to harm women and children—and there are plenty of incidents to show that they have.”
For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or on Twitter @AmericanFamAssc. Read more about AFA.
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To interview a representative from American Family Association, Beth Harrison, Hamilton Strategies, 610.584.1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, or Deborah Hamilton, 215.815.7716 or 610.584.1096, ext. 102.
Source: http://www.startribune.com/target-reports-lower-sales-but-beats-expectations/422730524/