A group of Bow parents are asking Judge Steven McAuliffe to allow them to protest transgender athletes at Bow school athletic events. They plan to wear pink wristbands, distribute them in school parking lots and hold protest signs targeting transgender student athletes.

A hate group is defined as “A social group that advocates and practices hatred, hostility or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.” The Bow parents are specifically targeting transgender youth due to their gender identity. One of the parents is lamenting the fact that his daughter will be graduating and that he may miss the opportunity to protest at her games this spring. While most parents would cherish the remaining sporting events to support and cheer for their children, this parent sees it as an opportunity to protest transgender youth.

The Bow parents do have the right to free speech and the right to protest. But why choose school athletics where teamwork, sportsmanship and inclusivity are mainstays? The student athletes, their friends and families are there to enjoy a sporting event, not be subjected to ignorant ideology. If the Bow parents are allowed to gather and protest at school events, then why wouldn’t a white supremacist group, an anti-LGBTQ group or any other hate group be granted the same privilege? Unfortunately, hate is more prevalent in our society as of late. Even more reason that it should not be promoted at our schools.

Dan Bergeron

Henniker