Activist Protest at Maine School Board Meeting
This week, three activists in Maine made headlines when they stripped down to their underwear during a school board meeting to protest a policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in female sports.
The demonstration, described somewhat theatrically, was led by local activist Nick Blanchard, who performed this act on Wednesday in Augusta, according to reports. As the meeting concluded, two women and a man undressed gradually while Blanchard, who is also known as “Corn Pop,” delivered a passionate speech.
“I’m going to show you how uncomfortable it is for girls,” he stated, as the activists removed their clothes.
“Does it make you uncomfortable?” he continued. “Because that’s how young girls feel when a boy comes into the locker room and doesn’t change in front of them. That’s how they feel every time a boy changes in front of them.”
The stunt evoked a varied range of responses from school board members, some appearing angry, others looking away, and a few remaining unfazed.
“This is the capital of Maine,” Blanchard emphasized. “We need to set a standard for the rest of the state. You know what kind of example you’re setting? That we don’t care about young girls in the rest of the state.”
Following significant local protests, Blanchard mentioned that over 150 people reached out to support his stance on Title IX policy, as noted by local media.
“I think these tactics might be effective in shifting policy, though perhaps not,” he shared with the newspaper. “But the only way to get them to really listen is to do something outrageous and grab national attention.”
The Augusta City School Board ultimately voted to maintain its current policy, which aligns with the Maine Human Rights Act. This law permits athletes to participate on teams that match their gender identity.
In February, an executive order from President Trump aimed to prevent biological males from participating in women’s sports through Title IX. The event in Maine follows similar naked protests in California, like one where local mother Beth Vaughn stripped down at a school board meeting to protest transgender students using girls’ locker rooms.
Several school districts in both Maine and California have reportedly enacted resolutions supporting compliance with Trump’s executive directive.
