California Women’s Rights Activist Protests School Locker Room Policy

Beth Bourne, a local women’s rights advocate and chair of Moms for Liberty in Yolo County, staged a provocative protest during a school board meeting by stripping down to a bikini to oppose the district’s policy granting transgender students access to girls’ locker rooms.

During the Davis Joint Unified School Board session on September 18, Bourne took the floor to voice her concerns about locker room access policies, emphasizing her stance with a visual demonstration. She pointed out that students are required to undress for PE classes and criticized the district’s policy allowing students to self-identify their gender and choose their bathroom accordingly.

Bourne’s demonstration was interrupted when members of the board asked her to stop. She insisted on completing her remarks, asserting, “I’ve got to finish my comments. You are violating my First Amendment rights.” When she persisted, Vice President Hiram Jackson called for a recess.

Following a five-minute break, the meeting resumed, and Bourne again attempted to protest by removing her top, prompting the board to recess again. The session eventually moved on to other topics more than half an hour later.

Bourne explained that she has attended the meetings regularly for three years to address these concerns and felt her dramatic action was necessary to attract attention to her cause. She expressed concern over the comfort level of girls sharing locker rooms when adults might feel uncomfortable witnessing such situations.

School board members responded by stating they are considering next steps, including consulting legal counsel concerning the incident. Trustee Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald noted that police were called after the second recess, and discussions about appropriate conduct are ongoing.