An
Alabama resident sparked a transphobic backlash against an employee at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center's Space Camp in Huntsville, leading to calls for the employee to be fired because she is transgender.
Last week, parent Clay Yarbrough posted on Facebook concerning a
transgender employee's role at the camp. Yarbrough’s bigoted post expressed outrage over a transgender crew trainer’s role at the camp.
“I just need everyone to see this and know what’s going on at Space Camp at the US Space & Rocket Center. My daughter was planning on going to space camp next week but we have just found out that this freak is a team lead and a hall monitor in the girls dorms and at times could be allowed to be alone in the halls at night,” Yarbrough wrote.
Adding fuel to the fire, Chaya Raichik, the figure behind the controversial Libs of TikTok social media account, launched a series of tweets targeting the Space Camp employee and the camp's affiliations. On Monday, Raichik posted, “Many concerned parents are reaching out to us about an alarming situation unfolding at @SpaceCampUSA. Molly Bowman is a man pretending to be a woman who works as a team lead and hall monitor at @SpaceCampUSA for young children."
Notable outrage from GOP lawmakers followed, with Sen. Tommy Tuberville and U.S. Rep. Dale Strong expressing their concerns and using social media to voice their opinions, NBC News reports. Strong explicitly called for the employee’s removal and a comprehensive review of the Space Camp’s policies to prevent “the potential harm and damages they have inadvertently caused our children.”
The attacks are part of a pattern by Republicans and far-right extremists to falsely paint LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender individuals, as harmful to children.
Responding to the controversy, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to the safety and security of Space Camp students. The center outlined its adherence to rigorous hiring practices, including extensive background checks and behavioral guidelines for staff, aiming to maintain a secure and inclusive environment for all participants.
The Alabama Trans Rights Action Coalition issued a statement condemning the targeted vilification of the transgender employee and criticizing the rhetoric used by some parents and GOP lawmakers, Huntsville NBC affiliate WAFF
reports.
“This kind of rhetoric further divides our state, has no basis in reality, and has historically led to violence. It is additional fuel poured on the flames of moral panic gripping the right wing of American political discourse, based only in fear and misunderstanding,” ALTRAC wrote.
