This week, three protesters bared their bodies to their underwear during a school board meeting in Maine, expressing their opposition to the district’s policy that allows transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports.
The dramatic protest, led by local activist Nick Blanchard, took place in Augusta on Wednesday evening as reported by Central Maine.
At the end of the Augusta School Department meeting, two women and a man methodically removed their clothing while Blanchard, known as “Corn Pop,” delivered a passionate speech.
“I’m about to demonstrate how uncomfortable this situation is for girls,” stated Blanchard as the women disrobed.
“Do you feel uncomfortable? That’s what young girls feel when a boy enters their locker room and begins to change in front of them. This is the reality for these young girls every time a boy changes nearby,” he continued.
The action elicited mixed responses from school board members, with some expressing outrage, others choosing to look away, and a few appearing unfazed.
“This is the capital of Maine,” Blanchard asserted. “We should be setting a standard for the state. What example are you setting? That we do not care about our young girls?”
Following the protest gaining traction online, Blanchard noted that over 150 individuals had reached out to express their support for his stance on the Title IX policy, Central Maine reported.
“Do I believe these methods will actually influence policy changes? Probably not,” Blanchard admitted to the outlet. “But the only way to get their attention is to do something outrageous and draw national focus.”
The Augusta school board ultimately voted to uphold its existing policy, which aligns with the Maine Human Rights Act allowing student athletes to compete according to their gender identity, as per WGME.
In February, President Trump issued an executive order aimed at preventing biological males from participating in women’s sports via Title IX regulations.
This demonstration in Maine follows a similar stripping incident in California.
Local parent Beth Bourne, chair of Moms for Liberty, also disrobed to her underwear at a Davis Joint Unified School Board meeting on September 18, protesting against allowing transgender students to use female locker rooms.
Numerous school districts in both Maine and California have passed resolutions endorsing adherence to Trump’s executive order, as reported by Fox News here.
