Philly students want Shapiro to declare Pa. a sanctuary state for transgender people — among other demands (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Philly students want Shapiro to declare Pa. a sanctuary state for transgender people — among other demands – By Nate File (The Philadelphia Inquirer) / April 25, 2023

On Tuesday, students and teachers from several Philly high schools walked out of class and rallied at City Hall for trans rights.

Last year, as Penn swimmer Lia Thomas competed as an openly trans woman, her participation in women’s swimming caused an uproar. It became the entry point for people not typically concerned with transgender issues to enter the conversation with force, buoyed mostly by hurtful rhetoric.

These voices weren’t the only people paying attention to Thomas’ story, though.

Several miles north from Penn’s campus at Central High School, Wes Allen watched and listened to the emotional vitriol launched at Thomas

“It was hard,” he said. Allen is transgender, and also a swimmer. He was not allowed to compete for Central High’s boys team, and the way he was treated often left him feeling invalidated. He pulled back from social media after receiving online hate and has been harassed in both boys’ and girls’ bathrooms. But he didn’t stop competing.

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