Fact Check

Target to Discontinue Sale of Holy Bible

A report that Target had stopped selling the Bible due to recent protests against its transgender bathroom policies came from a satire site.

Published May 18, 2016

 (Wikipedia)
Image Via Wikipedia
Claim:
Target has stopped selling the Bible.

On 17 May 2016, the entertainment web site National Report published an article reporting that Target had stopped selling the Bible in order to stop catering to "religious extremists":

Speaking with CNBC, Cornell cited recent protests from what he calls “religious extremists” as the reason to pull the bible from its shelves. “Target will no longer cater to religious extremists,” said Cornell. “If that means removing the bible from our shelves, then so be it.” Cornell said the big box chain is “sticking to its guns” regarding their bathroom policy, and will be phasing out anything having to do with religion. “We believe that everyone, every team member, every guest, and every community, deserves to be treated equally, regardless of their religious beliefs.”

While it's true that millions of people signed a petition against Target after the store confirmed its dedication to inclusivity in April 2016 by allowing transgender people to use the restroom that corresponded with their gender identity, Target has not retaliated by pulling the bible from its shelves. The above-quoted story is a piece of fiction from the well-known fake news site National Report, which has a disclaimer noting that it uses real names and circumstances in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways.

A quick search on Target's web site revealed that the Bible is indeed still for sale.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.