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Public debate around transgender individuals and bathroom use hit a fever pitch in April 2016, largely due to the controversial passage of HB 2 (otherwise known as the bathroom bill) in North Carolina. On 19 April 2016, Target released a statement confirming a new policy about transgender customers and bathrooms: Bathroom controversies weren't new in April 2016, but HB2, which was by far the highest profile legislation of that nature, provoked a huge response across the country. Target was not the first large and well-known entity to clarify its policy about transgender bathroom use, and the brand responded to some feedback on Twitter: Not all of the public's response was positive. Target's Facebook page was flooded with critical responses similar to the (heavily satirized) comments that appeared when the chain announced gender-neutral toy aisles: Some misinformation also circulated about the development. The web site The Political Insider reported that the retailer released the statement under pressure from the President and LGBT groups: No information we could find substantiated the claim that Target was pressured to institute the chain-wide policy, and no retailers of a similar size and scope have reported any organized push to enact similar policies. While HB2 is an enforceable law, Target's bathroom policy is simply a brand's policy decision based on its own ethics and belief structure. It is true that Target announced on 19 April 2016 that transgender shoppers and staffers were welcome to use the bathroom that best matched their gender identities. However, neither President Obama nor any groups appeared to have forced the retailer's hand in issuing the policy, and no transgender bathrooms were included in the details of the announcement.
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