Trans activists storm NYC schools meeting, dance ‘Macarena' to protest support of female athletes
The group of about 100 demonstrators descended on the monthly meeting of the Community Education Council for District , interrupting, heckling and blowing bubbles throughout, with one person rushing the stage and plopping down at the members' dais.
When attendee Jo Vitale spoke on behalf of female athletes during the public comment portion of the meeting, the group stood up and silently — and awkwardly — danced the 'Macarena,' many out of step with the '90s dance hit.
'I am here to speak up for the female athletes who are intimidated by this nonsense that is occurring behind me, all the dancing and the buffoonery,' Vitale said as the dancers, many of whom were masked, danced slow-motion in silence.
'I'm speaking up for the female athletes who do not want to have biological males competing with them,' Vitale told the board, which covers the Upper East Side and much of Midtown.
The group has been protesting at nearly every CEC 2 meeting for the last year, ever since the advisory board passed Resolution 248 calling for the city Department of Education to review its policy that allows students to play on teams according to the gender they identify with.
The demonstrations have gotten increasingly disruptive, with the trans activists, most of whom do not have kids in District 2 public schools, rallying beforehand and bringing doughnuts.
One of the main organizers is trans teacher Alaina Daniels, who runs an after school program for LGBTQ+ kids called Trans Formative Schools, and is trying to open a 'trans middle school,' according to her website.
The group held a 'strategy and tactics briefing' last week and then urged supporters to attend the CEC 2 meeting. 'Wear pink, blue, and/or white!' it said in an Instagram post, referring to the colors of the trans flag.
'Your physical presence makes the biggest impact,' it added.
CEC members have complained that the council barely gets to address important issues like academics and drops in enrollment.
'I appreciate their advocacy, but it's completely misplaced,' CEC 2 Vice President Leonard Silverman told The Post.
Silverman said the controversial resolution isn't going to be repealed, and noted that the DOE, which has stood by its policy, already said no review will be conducted.
'But they still keep on showing up, and it's really disruptive because it's discouraged other parents from talking about other educational issues,' Silverman said.
Many of last week's attendees spoke in favor of two resolutions that were set to be voted on at the meeting, one countering Resolution 248 and supporting the DOE's current sports policy, and another in opposition of President Trump's executive order aiming to end 'radical indoctrination in K-12 schools.'
Votes on the resolutions were postponed because the group lost quorum.
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