A dramatic protest unfolded this week at a school board meeting in Augusta, Maine, where three activists stripped down to their underwear in protest of a district policy allowing transgender-identifying males into girls’ sports and locker rooms. The demonstration, led by local activist Nick Blanchard—known by his nickname “Corn Pop”—was aimed at exposing what the group sees as the uncomfortable reality facing young girls under current school policy.
The incident occurred at the conclusion of the Augusta School Department meeting Wednesday evening. As Blanchard gave a speech condemning the district’s stance, two women and one man gradually removed their clothing, standing in their underwear to make their point.
“I’m about to show you guys how uncomfortable it is for girls,” Blanchard said. “You feel uncomfortable? Because that’s what these young girls feel like when a boy walks into their locker room and starts unchanging in front of them.”
The protest triggered a range of reactions from school board members—some looked away, others appeared irritated, and a few remained stoic. Blanchard told local media that the stunt has since gone viral across the state, and he claims over 150 supporters have reached out in favor of his position.
Blanchard admitted the tactic may not lead to immediate policy changes but said the point was to grab national attention. “The only way to get them to listen to us is to do something crazy and get in the national spotlight,” he said.
The school board voted to uphold a policy aligned with the Maine Human Rights Act, allowing individuals to participate in school programs based on “gender identity” rather than biological sex. The state of Maine has publicly stated it will not comply with President Donald Trump’s federal executive order, “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports,” which directs federal departments to pull funding from non-compliant education programs.
The Trump administration is pursuing a lawsuit against the state and has already determined Maine to be in violation of Title IX. Some school districts in the state, however, have passed resolutions in support of complying with the federal order.
The Augusta protest echoes a similar event in California last month, where a female protester removed her clothing at a school board meeting in Davis to oppose transgender policies affecting girls’ locker rooms.
