Transgender Snark on Lockport Biz Marquee 'Just Satire,' Owner Says

The sign outside Richard Tisch's business isn't meant to be taken seriously, Tisch says, and plenty of people have stopped in to tell him his words gave them a chuckle.

"Outhouses in the Rear for Transgenders."

The sign glows outside Will County Loan Co., 1111 E. 9th St. in Lockport. A photo on the pawn shop's Facebook page Monday also showed an old-fashioned wooden outhouse with a similar caption. That photo has since been removed.

“We’ve had at least 50 phone calls a day of people who love the sign," Tisch said. "It’s satire, people don’t understand it’s satire."

The sign—which some might call cheeky and others deem offensive—went up last week as Tisch's response to nationwide discussion about inclusivity measures set in place for transgender individuals.

"My issue is, nationwide, we should not have to accommodate ... put a special bathroom in for some kid who gets up in the morning and doesn’t know if he’s a male or a female."

~ Richard Tisch

Most notable in the business world, Target announced transgender team members and guests may use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity. That action was supplementary to Target's support of the federal Equality Act, legislation that would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity, and ban discrimination in areas including employment, housing, access to credit, public education and accommodations.

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday filed suit against state of North Carolina over its transgender bathroom law, calling it "impermissibly discriminatory." North Carolina's law already has many businesses and governments, including the city of Chicago, refusing to do business in North Carolina.

Target's policy and laws that allow transgender people to use the restrooms of their choice could be harmful to businesses, Tisch contends, and business owners shouldn't be forced to comply.

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Tisch told Patch how people are jumping to conclusions about his business and his stance on the hotly debated issue.

"I have no ideology about homosexuals or transgenders," Tisch said, going on to note that he has homosexual family members and customers.

"I have nothing against gays—we have a lot of gay customers. My issue is, nationwide, we should not have to accommodate ... put a special bathroom in for some kid who gets up in the morning and doesn’t know if he’s a male or a female."

A photo of the sign has been shared among community members on Facebook. Reactions seem split.

"Unfortunately I have to give it at least 1 star," wrote one person on the business's Yelp page. "I've never shopped here or anything but I can't express enough how disgusted I am by their bigoted/ignorant/hateful messages they put up on their sign. Needless to say, that due to their horrible attitude towards others, I will never even enter this building."

Nick Koblick, who works at a business nearby, finds the sign upsetting. Koblick is not transgender, but is a member of the LGBT community, and has friends who are transgender.

"I believe everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, but if your opinion is going to hurt someone who’s already going through a hard time, why say it?" Koblick said.

"My whole viewpoint, is if you’re not a bigot, why target somebody?"

"Transgenders call themselves a protected group," he said. "I had belonged, spent 10 years in the United States Marine Corps, was a member of the Lions Club, Rotary Club. I’ve been a member of all these organizations. I have never belonged to an organization that needs protection. If transgenders feel they need protection, then there’s something awry here, there’s something not normal.

"Most people do not belong to groups that need protection, if you belonged to the Ku Klux Klan today, you would certainly need protection.

"If you belong to a group that needs protection, that means something’s not normal."

Koblick would ask Tisch if he has ever tried to understand a transgender's viewpoint or experience.

"I don’t know how privileged you’ve been growing up, what kind of life you’ve led, but you’re obviously not stepping into other people’s shoes," Koblick said, referring to Tisch. "These people are already suffering. Why would you want to make it any more difficult for them."

Many have stopped in to applaud his sign, Tisch says, one man even exclaiming, "I thought I’d pee myself when I saw that sign.”

The display is the latest in a series of controversial one Tisch has designed to draw attention to the business he's owned for 34 years.

"I've been put on the map because of those signs," Tisch said. "I object to people calling me racist and bigot, because I'm not that. It's so easy for them to say that.

"They have been very unfair to me and my business."

The shop does not have a public restroom, as it's behind the counter and in a restricted area, but if it did pertain to his business, Tisch would put his foot down.

"If my granddaughter were in the bathroom, and some transgender guy wanted to go in there, I would not allow it," Tisch said. "I have no problem if they want to do that, they’re just not going to do it on my watch.

"When you start [allowing] that, people abuse it. And there’s a chance that a perverted person will take advantage of that. So no, I don’t think we open that door. You can’t open that door, because it leads you down a very slippery path."

A bigot to some, Tisch is seemingly a hero to others.

"You got to love this guy with his sign today," wrote one commenter on a local forum. "Keep the quotes coming, you are saying what we are thinking."