Three activists stripped down to their underwear during a school board meeting in Augusta, Maine, this week to protest a district policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.

The demonstration, led by local activist Nick Blanchard, took place Wednesday before members of the Augusta School Department board, according to Central Maine.

The protest began near the end of the meeting, when Blanchard — who also goes by the name “Corn Pop” — stood before the board with two women and a man.

As the group began removing their clothing, Blanchard addressed the board directly.

“I’m about to show you guys how uncomfortable it is for girls,” he said as the women beside him continued disrobing.

“You feel uncomfortable? Because that’s what these young girls feel like when a boy walks into their locker room and starts unchanging in front of them. That’s what these young girls feel like every time a young boy changes in front of them.”

The act drew mixed reactions from board members — some visibly unsettled, others looking away, and a few appearing unmoved.

Blanchard continued speaking as the demonstration played out. “This is Maine’s capital,” he said.

“We should be setting an example for the rest of the state. You know what example you guys are setting? That we do not care about the young girls in the rest of the state.”

#Maine #MEpolitics
Augusta Maine School Board – Residents Undress!!
10/8/25 – @pwa1776

To prove a point Nicholas Blanchard hits the podium & makes the board uncomfortable as two ladies undress in front of the board. They call ‘point of order’.

In Augusta Maine, on record -… pic.twitter.com/Cr8VwTSGs7

— TheUnquirer (@unquirer) October 9, 2025

After the incident, Blanchard told Central Maine that his intent was to spark attention to what he views as the unfairness of the district’s transgender participation policy.

He said that since the protest went viral locally, more than 150 people have reached out in support.

“Do I think these tactics work in a way of changing policy? Probably not,” he said. “But the only way to get them to listen to us is to do something crazy and get in the national spotlight.”

The Augusta school board ultimately voted to uphold its current policy, which follows the Maine Human Rights Act.

That law allows student athletes to play on teams that correspond with their gender identity, WGME reported.

The board’s decision aligns with statewide guidance supporting the inclusion of transgender students in school sports programs.

The protest in Augusta occurred shortly after similar demonstrations elsewhere.

In September, a California mother, Beth Bourne — who chairs the local chapter of Moms for Liberty — staged a comparable protest by undressing to her underwear during a Davis Joint Unified School Board meeting.

Bourne’s demonstration was meant to oppose the district’s policy permitting transgender students to use girls’ locker rooms.

At the federal level, President Trump signed an executive order in February designed to protect women’s sports under Title IX by preventing biological males from competing in female divisions.

Since then, multiple school districts in Maine and California have passed resolutions affirming their compliance with the order, according to Fox News.

While reactions to Blanchard’s protest remain divided, the issue continues to gain attention across the country as schools weigh how to handle policies regarding gender identity and athletic competition.

The Augusta school board has not indicated plans to revisit the matter following this week’s meeting.