Consumers’ Research has revealed that Albertsons, which owns Safeway and Vons and operates over 2,000 stores nationwide, enforces a policy preventing managers from requiring transgender-identifying men—including customers or employees—to use the restroom of their biological sex at birth. The policy states that doing so would constitute prohibited discrimination under company rules.
The watchdog’s report highlights Albertsons’ broader commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including active engagement with transgender advocacy groups and sponsorship of pride events. In 2024, the company supported Pride festivals in Boise and San Francisco and donated $25,000 to the National Center for Transgender Equality (now Advocates for Trans Equality), which opposes state-level protections for minors against transgender medical procedures.
Consumers’ Research labeled the policy a sign of “gender ideology” infiltrating daily retail spaces, arguing that customers expect grocery stores to focus on products and prices—not ideological campaigns. Their executive director criticized Albertsons for prioritizing radical net-zero climate goals, DEI fundraising, and identity politics over consumer needs.
The report supports conservative calls to eliminate DEI-focused policies in corporate practices, echoing former President Trump’s federal rollback of such initiatives. Critics argue that corporate enforcement of gender identity policies in public accommodations may put women’s privacy and safety at risk and conflict with religious or traditional values.
