Let’s clear something up. Target is not allowing anyone to use any restroom they want. Target is not inviting men into women’s restrooms. Target is not creating a safe haven for child predators, rapists, or any other scary threat conjured up by close-minded people harboring some deep anti-LGBT+ resentment.

As written on Target’s corporate website, their policy says “we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.”

Meaning, people have the freedom to use the restroom that matches their gender identity. Predatory men are not allowed to enter women’s restrooms.

“But they’ll do it anyway!” you say. Yes, they very well might. And if sexual predators are using this new inclusive law to assault anybody, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

But let’s not further punish a group – transgender people and genderqueer people – for the illegal actions of rapists or predators who, let’s face it, have never given a shit about laws that tell them not to rape, assault or kidnap.

You’ve been sharing bathrooms with trans people your whole life without giving it a second thought. Rapists have been raping people your whole life, too, and that’s illegal. It’s clear they don’t care about the legality of their actions, so the argument that they’ll suddenly use this law to attack more women invalidates the experiences of the scores of people who have been assaulted in their lifetime, like the 1.3 million American women raped in the last 12 months. 

If you want to stop people from raping or assaulting others, then that is its own issue that needs to be dealt with regardless. Only two out of 100 rapists ever convicted and serve a single day in prison for their crimes. That’s a real problem.

One in five women will be the victim of a rape or a rape attempt in their lifetime, so I understand and appreciate those who express support for women’s safety in public restrooms.

However, fifty percent of transgender people will be sexually assaulted or raped in their lifetime. Rape is all too prevalent, but trans people are disproportionately the victims of these violent acts.

Another common argument against Target’s new policy is “women should use women’s restrooms and men should use men’s restrooms”. Well, yes. They should.

Women, whether they’re cisgender or transgender, should use the restroom that matches their gender identity.

And we should protect their right to do so. Sending trans women into the men’s restroom puts those women at an even higher risk of assault and it does nothing to stop rapists from raping. 

Nobody should have to worry about being assaulted while they use the restroom. Stop blaming the victims and start holding sexual predators accountable for their actions.

Read the related column: Women, children at risk with new bathroom conflict

Brianna Sheen is a mass communication sophomore.