“Women/Girls’ Right to Single-Sex Designated Facilities Ignored by Washington YMCA
Port Townsend, Washington: A senior YMCA member’s objection to the presence of a male YMCA employee in the women’s locker room, as well as the local mayor’s support of said employee, has gone internationally viral. In response, internationally-recognized women’s rights activist, Amy E. Sousa will hold a press conference and speakers event to support women and girls’ right to single-sex designated facilities on August 15, 2022 in Port Townsend, Washington.
On July 26, 2022, 80-year-old Port Townsend woman, Julie Jaman was banned from the local YMCA pool for insisting that a male employee who identifies as a woman leave the shower/locker rooms where she observed him looking at a group of young girls as they took off their swimsuits to use the bathroom.
“It is unconscionable that the YMCA would instigate these new policies without clearly informing pool patrons and parents.
Although, in 2021, the Y reported that they were adding family and all-gender dressing and bathing areas, they’ve not done that. Instead, they’ve usurped the binary designations… with no choices. The staff seems to have received little professional training on how to handle reactions to such a radical cultural change - particularly for the most vulnerable: older female patrons, and children who may be exposed to inappropriate behavior… [This ignores] the dignity and safety of unsuspecting women who have trusted…these facilities for many years.” - Julie Jaman.
In response to Jaman’s ban, Port Townsend Mayor David J. Faber issued a “Transgender Proclomation” in support of the YMCA, it’s employee, and all other members of the “Transgender community.” In doing so, he ignored the conflict between the organization’s gender inclusive policy and the sex-based rights of the girls, Jaman, and other female members of the YMCA who are entitled to single-sex spaces. When Sousa tweeted her dissatisfaction with Mayor Faber’s stance, he tweeted in response “Zoopity Boop.”
On Monday afternoon, Port Townsend’s City Council will take public comment on Mayor Faber’s “Transgender Proclomation,” before and after which the public are invited to attend Sousa’s event across the street, where they will have the opportunity to address the outpouring of criticism against Jaman and the local government’s failure to adequately address this issue.
The event will be live-streamed from Sousa’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/KnownHeretic .
“Single-sex spaces are the right of every woman and girl. It is absolutely necessary to protect these spaces for safeguarding, dignity, privacy and respect. We stand in solidarity with Julie Jaman. She should be commended for insisting on the bodily autonomy of girls and women. Instead, she has been unfairly and viciously maligned, slandered and banned. Women around the world object to the blatant sexism and sex-based discrimination demonstrated by the YMCA and the City of Port Townsend. On Monday, we come together as a community of women and men who support sex-based protections of women and girls” - Amy E. Sousa.
The encounter was first covered by The Port Townsend Free Press, and was subsequently picked by news outlets such as Fox News, Laura Ingram, Tucker Carlson, Reduxx, The NY Post, The Washington Examiner, The Post Millennial, Quillette, and more. It has also gone viral internationally via Twitter.
The hashtag #LetJulieSwim, introduced by Sousa, trended on Twitter on August 10, 2022, gathering more than 401,000 impressions/views. Sousa's combined tweets on the matter have had over one million overall impressions.
For more information about the event, or to arrange interviews, contact:
Amy E. Sousa
theknownheretic@gmail.com
@KnownHeretic on Twitter, Youtube, & Instagram
Date: August 15, 2022
Time: Press conference begins at 5:30 p.m. PST. The City Council will take public comments at 6:00 p.m. PST after which Sousa’s event will resume, offering anyone who was unable to speak the chance to do so.
Location: Pope Marine Park in Port Townsend, across the street from Port Townsend City Hall at 250 Madison Street.
