LONG BRANCH, N.J. — A New Jersey teachers’ union leader is defending the state’s longstanding transgender athlete policy, calling recent criticism from conservative groups a politically motivated “moral panic.”
The teacher, a math teacher at the Long Branch School of Social Justice has quite a lively TikTok feed.
Kristen Clarke, president of the Long Branch Schools Education Association, addressed concerns over the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) policy, which allows transgender athletes to compete in accordance with their gender identity. She argued that opponents of the policy, including right-wing activists and parent organizations, have manufactured outrage despite the rule being in place for 16 years.
“Tell me how these MAGA moms and Libs of TikTok are so upset about a transgender student-athlete policy that’s been around for 16 years,” Clarke said. “They want to go cry about it, but yet wear the snowflakes.”
The NJSIAA policy, originally implemented in 2009 and last updated in 2017, states that transgender students may compete in alignment with their gender identity but cannot switch back and forth between teams. The policy was reaffirmed last week, with NJSIAA legal counsel Steve Goodell stating that there have been “no hearings, no controversies” brought to the association’s attention regarding transgender athletes.
Clarke dismissed the recent backlash as a political strategy by conservative groups such as Moms for Liberty and social media accounts like Libs of TikTok.
“These people need to stop with the fake moral outrage because you weren’t upset about it back in 2009. You weren’t upset about it back in 2017. You’re only upset about it now. And why is that?” she said.
The controversy comes as debates over transgender participation in school sports continue to escalate nationwide, with several states enacting laws restricting transgender athletes’ eligibility.
