Trans doctor leading the fight against coronavirus mocked with cruel ‘transphobic’ country fair impersonator
The man in a dress was impersonating Pennsylvania health secretary Dr Rachel Levine. (Bloomsburg Fair/ Facebook)
Pennsylvania health secretary Dr Rachel Levine was mocked at a country fair where attendees paid money to drop a man impersonating the trans official into a dunk tank.
The Bloomsburg Fair in Pennsylvania has drawn harsh criticism and allegations of transphobia after posting photos of a man in a dunk tank impersonating Levine, a trans woman and politician who is leading the state’s response to the coronavirus crisis.
According to The Morning Call, the fairground posted photos on Facebook from its Fireman’s Relief Carnival showing a man dressed in a wig and dress with the caption: “Dr Levine? Thank you. You were a hit and raised a lot of money for the local fire companies. Wonder why so many were trying to dunk you.”
The now-deleted post drew swift criticism, with one Facebook user writing: “I went to the Bloomsburg Fair for years but I will not be returning due to the discrimination towards Dr Rachel Levine.
“Absolutely disgusting and you people should be ashamed of yourselves.”
(Bloomsburg Fair/ Facebook)
Another shared a screenshot of the post, and wrote: “Putting a man in a dress to mock a trans woman is not ok. Do better Bloomsburg Fair.”
LGBT+ groups condemn Dr Rachel Levine impersonator stunt as ‘transphobic’.
The Pennsylvania LGBT+ rights group NEPA Rainbow Alliance described the dunk tank incident as “absolutely unacceptable, transphobic behaviour”.
The group’s president, Justin M Correll, wrote on Facebook in response: “Bloomsburg Fair shared these photos from their offensive fundraising activity focusing on the pandemic and the highly decorated Dr Rachel Levine.
“There is no way for them to state that this was a slip of the keys or accidentally clicking post.
“This was a fully thought out episode of a clear lack of judgment, criticising both personally and professionally a well-respected medical professional and all out display of hate.
“This bigotry is clearly not an accident as the post and multiple pictures from the event are depicted.”
Correll added: “This is the kind of transphobic, disgusting behaviour that needs to be called out and stopped.”
In a message to the fair’s organisers, he said: “I have a large group of people who are willing to help educate you on the do and don’ts of Facebook, the way to be a good human, and most importantly how not to offend anyone that you want money from. Let us know!”
In a statement responding to allegations of transphobia, Bloomsburg Fair told FOX56 that the “sole purpose” of the dunk tank was to “utilise the likeness of a public figure in an effort to raise monies for local fire companies”.
The fair added that “at no time was it the intention” to give “any form of commentary on Dr Levine’s transgender identity”.
