Franklin Graham: Target should drop transgender bathroom policy rather than spend $20M to build unisex bathrooms

Evangelical leader Franklin Graham said retail giant Target would do better by dropping its transgender bathroom policy than to spend millions just to add unisex bathrooms.

Graham took to Facebook on Wednesday to share his thoughts on the latest announcement made by Target's Chief Financial Officer Cathy Smith that the company decided to spend $20 million to install in its store chain nationwide private bathrooms that can be locked by November and then by March just after the holiday season.

The president and CEO of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association clearly pointed out that he doesn't think Target's doing a wise business move.

"Their refusal to drop their transgender bathroom policy is going to cost the company—and the shareholders—big bucks!" wrote Graham.

He argued that Target would instead benefit greatly business-wise "by not adopting their dangerous policy in the first place!"

In April, the American company formally announced its inclusive bathroom policy that allowed employees in and customers to use the bathrooms and changing facilities according to their gender identification regardless of their biological sex.

Conservative group American Family Association (AFA) responded after a couple of days from the announcement by launching a boycott Target campaign that garnered 1.4 million signatures as of Aug. 22.

Though the retail giant initially refused to acknowledge that the boycott contributed to drops in revenues and customer traffic, Target's latest move reflected the fact that its bathroom policy miffed some of its customers.

"It's clear that some of our guests like and some dislike our inclusive bathroom policy," Smith told reporters.

She also said, "We are not satisfied with our second quarter traffic and sales performance."

AFA President Tim Wildmon wrote a letter to Target's CEO Brian Cornell on Monday to emphasize that though they consider unisex bathrooms as "fine," their main concern surrounds the fact that the store's policy grants easy access to "voyeurs and sexual predators."

"Our request has always been that Target maintain the gender-specific bathrooms as well – if the company is interested in guaranteeing the safety and privacy of women and girls who patronize the retailer's stores," wrote Wildmon.