If you walk down the toy aisles of Target you may notice a subtle change, the gendered signs that have previously delegated to parents which aisle was appropriate for their little boy or girl are gone. Target is the first company that has publicly announced its movement towards creating an unbiased atmosphere. The store’s progressive move has led to outrage and contempt.

Target’s phasing out of the gender signs is an attempt to stop limiting its customers by gender, especially when it comes to items such as toys. According to their corporate website, “…we know that shopping preferences and needs change and, as guests have pointed out, in some departments like Toys, Home or Entertainment, suggesting products by gender is unnecessary.” They are even going as far as to remove the colors associated with the different sexes.

Even if Target is doing this as a stunt to get attention brought towards their company, you can’t ignore the benefit that it will bring.

Gender norms repress children’s growth, due to the fact that it not only limits what toys they play with but also the characteristics that they develop. By associating certain toys with specified sexes, it controls what girls and boys how they view themselves and others. It is a step away from ridiculing little girls for liking superhero toys or boys who like Barbie dolls.

The people who are upset about Target’s decision are the same people who believe that a woman should still be at home, and that her world should revolve around cooking and cleaning. By limiting the choices at an early age, even by such a small thing as a sign, it causes limitations later on in life. It doesn’t cause them to be confused about what gender they are or what it is by playing with a toy that is typically associated with the opposite sex.

A toy is a toy to a child, but to an adult who understands the implications of gender, it is more. The adults are the ones who find it offensive, while the kids will just see it as more toys to choose from. Gender neutrality is not harmful but is a step towards a more progressive future where children are not repressed or limited to one specific characteristic.