Conservatives continue to rally against trans folks of all ages in order to get their voter base riled up and into the voting booths just in time for midterm elections. Whether Republicans are going after safe, age-appropriate, gender-affirming health care, the ability to update one’s birth certificate or other legal documents, or the ability to use the bathroom that matches one’s gender identity, Republicans are jumping at every chance to silence and isolate trans folks. And that, very sadly, includes trans youth.
When it comes to trans youth, conservatives tend to focus on trans-inclusive health care and sports. Specifically, trans girls participating on girls’ sports teams anywhere from grade school through college. Legislations attempting to either force trans players “out” or to keep them on the sidelines have gotten adults in the room arguing back and forth, but there’s been far less coverage on how young trans adults are handling all of this vicious rhetoric at the moment. Sadly, we have one example of an alleged incident coming to us from Randolph Union High School in Randolph, Vermont.
As reported by local news outlet Seven Days Vermont, a locker room at the high school has been shut down while officials at the school investigate alleged bullying and harassment against a trans girl from her volleyball teammates.
RELATED: Medical associations ask DOJ to investigate threats against hospitals, doctors providing trans care
According to the mother of the trans girl (who has not been publicly named), her daughter had been changing in the locker room prior to volleyball practice with the other girls. That’s when her mother (who has asked not to be identified publicly) says several of her teammates told her to get out of the locker room. The mother alleges her daughter was also accused of looking at them. Her daughter ended up changing in a bathroom stall instead.
One student, Blake Allen, interviewed by local outlet WCAX-TV (no longer available at this link) alleged that the trans athlete, who is a first-year student at the school, made “inappropriate” comments while her teammates were changing for practice, and said her mom wants her to do interviews about the incident to “try to make a change.” She also told the outlet she doesn’t think “biological boys” should be allowed in the girls' locker room.
The student told the outlet she doesn’t think she should have any bullying or harassment charges against her over what happened.
A different student (who also asked to remain anonymous) reached out to local outlets NECN and NBC 10 Boston with an emailed statement saying they witnessed the incident and alleged it went down differently.
"We were all already dressed in our uniforms,” they wrote in part. “Because it had already been some time since being released from classes. The transgender student walked into the locker room and was promptly told to ‘GET OUT!’ by one student, and the transgender student swiftly turned around and left."
The latest update, per Orange Southwest Superintendent Layne Millington, is that the locker room has been shut down during the investigation for the sake of “student safety.” This means the entire team does not have access to the locker room during the investigation, not just the students involved. The school also sent an email to families reiterating that students uncomfortable with the trans-inclusive state laws the school abides by can have access to change in private spaces.
Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, some right-wing news outlets (hi, Fox News, and the Daily Wire) have taken a hold of this story with an obvious anti-trans bias and slant. The school disabled its official after it was hacked and inundated with anti-trans messages and symbols.
The mother of the young trans girl says she’s now being bullied and harassed at school, thanks largely, in her mind, to the interview done by WCAX, which included just one interview with the above-mentioned teammate.
The mother also claims a person who identified themself as the father of that student sent her a nasty message on Facebook, reading in part, “the truth is your son watched my daughter and multiple other girls change in the locker room. While he got a free show they got violated. you think this is fine and dandy, I wonder how you would feel if I watched you undress?”
Right-wing rhetoric is filled to the brim with the idea that trans people—and especially trans women—are eager to get into women’s spaces in order to spy on them and assault them. Statistically speaking, it’s simply not true. Trans people—and trans women—are actually much more likely to be victims of assault than perpetrators of it. Are there exceptions? Of course. But the idea that trans women and girls are inherently or particularly predatory is rooted in transphobia, not reality. It’s damaging, hateful, and clearly gives ground to discrimination.
When it comes to trans youth, conservatives tend to focus on trans-inclusive health care and sports. Specifically, trans girls participating on girls’ sports teams anywhere from grade school through college. Legislations attempting to either force trans players “out” or to keep them on the sidelines have gotten adults in the room arguing back and forth, but there’s been far less coverage on how young trans adults are handling all of this vicious rhetoric at the moment. Sadly, we have one example of an alleged incident coming to us from Randolph Union High School in Randolph, Vermont.
As reported by local news outlet Seven Days Vermont, a locker room at the high school has been shut down while officials at the school investigate alleged bullying and harassment against a trans girl from her volleyball teammates.
RELATED: Medical associations ask DOJ to investigate threats against hospitals, doctors providing trans care
According to the mother of the trans girl (who has not been publicly named), her daughter had been changing in the locker room prior to volleyball practice with the other girls. That’s when her mother (who has asked not to be identified publicly) says several of her teammates told her to get out of the locker room. The mother alleges her daughter was also accused of looking at them. Her daughter ended up changing in a bathroom stall instead.
One student, Blake Allen, interviewed by local outlet WCAX-TV (no longer available at this link) alleged that the trans athlete, who is a first-year student at the school, made “inappropriate” comments while her teammates were changing for practice, and said her mom wants her to do interviews about the incident to “try to make a change.” She also told the outlet she doesn’t think “biological boys” should be allowed in the girls' locker room.
The student told the outlet she doesn’t think she should have any bullying or harassment charges against her over what happened.
A different student (who also asked to remain anonymous) reached out to local outlets NECN and NBC 10 Boston with an emailed statement saying they witnessed the incident and alleged it went down differently.
"We were all already dressed in our uniforms,” they wrote in part. “Because it had already been some time since being released from classes. The transgender student walked into the locker room and was promptly told to ‘GET OUT!’ by one student, and the transgender student swiftly turned around and left."
The latest update, per Orange Southwest Superintendent Layne Millington, is that the locker room has been shut down during the investigation for the sake of “student safety.” This means the entire team does not have access to the locker room during the investigation, not just the students involved. The school also sent an email to families reiterating that students uncomfortable with the trans-inclusive state laws the school abides by can have access to change in private spaces.
Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, some right-wing news outlets (hi, Fox News, and the Daily Wire) have taken a hold of this story with an obvious anti-trans bias and slant. The school disabled its official after it was hacked and inundated with anti-trans messages and symbols.
The mother of the young trans girl says she’s now being bullied and harassed at school, thanks largely, in her mind, to the interview done by WCAX, which included just one interview with the above-mentioned teammate.
The mother also claims a person who identified themself as the father of that student sent her a nasty message on Facebook, reading in part, “the truth is your son watched my daughter and multiple other girls change in the locker room. While he got a free show they got violated. you think this is fine and dandy, I wonder how you would feel if I watched you undress?”
Right-wing rhetoric is filled to the brim with the idea that trans people—and especially trans women—are eager to get into women’s spaces in order to spy on them and assault them. Statistically speaking, it’s simply not true. Trans people—and trans women—are actually much more likely to be victims of assault than perpetrators of it. Are there exceptions? Of course. But the idea that trans women and girls are inherently or particularly predatory is rooted in transphobia, not reality. It’s damaging, hateful, and clearly gives ground to discrimination.