logo
Trans activist accused of witnessing sexual misconduct of minors leads chaplain prayer in Maine legislature

Trans activist accused of witnessing sexual misconduct of minors leads chaplain prayer in Maine legislature

Fox News20-03-2025

Maine Democrats, who censured a Republican lawmaker last month over an online comment about a transgender student in sports, reportedly selected transgender activist Quinn Gormley — who was accused of witnessing sexual misconduct with minors in 2023 and now claims to be a seminarian — to lead the state House of Representatives in prayer Thursday morning.
"Let us be in the spirit of solemnity," Gormley said in the opening prayer. "Your great holiness, I pray here today for these leaders in our state may they approach their work with regard for the dignity of all the people they serve. May they understand that diversity is the intent of the design, and may they have the wisdom to know that the path to justice begins with humility and travels through mercy. In the name of all that is sacred and good in this world, I pray, amen."
Maine Wire first reported on the prayer and published the story behind the accusations of sexual misconduct involving minors when Gormley was working with A Maine Transgender Network, Inc., an advocacy organization for transgender people.
In that report, Gormley, a former leader in the Maine Transgender Network, was accused of witnessing inappropriate sexual behavior among minors on a Discord server for its youth program. The allegations, made by former member Sampson Spadafore, involved minors crossing sexual boundaries, though it was clarified that no adults were involved in the misconduct.
Gormley – the clinical chaplain at MaineHealth Medical Center according to Gormley's LinkedIn profile – later went on a sabbatical from the organization, according to the report, and was replaced by Bre Kidman, a self-identified "queer feminist mermaid" who ran unsuccessfully in the Senate Democratic primary in 2020.
Liberal Gov. Janet Mills and Democratic lawmakers have consulted the transgender network, including Gormley, on several bills in the last several years involving expanding minors' access to gender transition treatments. The Maine Department of Education also endorses the Maine Transgender Network as a valuable resource for parents and students.
"I got to do something really cool this morning! I was honored to be the clergy of the day for the Maine House today. So good to see familiar faces! And even though it looked different than I imagined for my first time, it was nice to speak in that chamber," Gormley, whose bio on LinkedIn says "Transgender Death Educator, Clinical Chaplain, Anti-Violence Advocate, Recovering Lobbyist," wrote on the platform Thursday.
Meanwhile, Maine State Rep. Laurel Libby, who has become a key figure in the state's ongoing battle over transgender inclusion in girls' sports, is not allowed to speak or vote on the state's House of Representatives floor.
Libby was censured by the Maine House of Representatives' Democrat majority and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau for a February social media post in which she pointed out a trans athlete who won a girls' pole-vaulting event. Fecteau and Maine Democrats censured Libby on the basis that the athlete she identified by name and with a photograph was a minor. But Libby has argued that the athlete had already been identified in other social media posts.
"It's a remarkable double standard as there are public photos of this individual in many places, on social media and even some posted by his school, and so yes, this post went viral, but this was an individual who participated in a public event, who publicly stood on a podium and accepted a championship medal that rightfully belonged to the girls standing on the second-place spot," Libby previously told Fox News Digital.Libby has since filed a lawsuit against Fecteau, seeking to regain her voting and speaking rights.
Maine has become ground zero for what President Donald Trump has touted as gender extremism ever since his spat with the governor last month over her refusal to enforce his executive order barring biological men from competing in women's sports. This week, Trump escalated his demands that Maine adhere to the ban, or face federal prosecution. Trump previously threatened to pull federal funds from the state's education programs.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Maine House Democrats for comment.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New York lawmakers approve bill that would allow medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill

time34 minutes ago

New York lawmakers approve bill that would allow medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Terminally ill New Yorkers would have the legal ability to end their own lives with pharmaceutical drugs under a bill passed Monday in the state Legislature. The proposal, which now moves to the governor's office, would allow a person with an incurable illness to be prescribed life-ending drugs if he or she requests the medication and gets approval from two physicians. A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would review the legislation. The New York Senate gave final approval to the bill Monday night after hours of debate during which supporters said it would let terminally ill people die on their own terms. 'It's not about hastening death, but ending suffering,' said state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat who sponsored the proposal. Opponents have argued the state should instead improve end-of-life medical care or have objected on religious grounds. 'We should not be in the business of state-authorized suicide,' said state Sen. George Borrello, a Republican. The state Assembly passed the measure in late April. The proposal requires that a terminally ill person who is expected to die within six month make a written request for the drugs. Two witnesses would have sign the request to ensure that the patient is not being coerced. The request would then have to be approved by the person's attending physician as well as a consulting physician. The legislation was first introduced in 2016, Hoylman-Sigal said, though it has stalled year after year in the New York statehouse. Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, which has opposed the measure, said 'This is a dark day for New York State." Eleven other states and Washington, D.C., have laws allowing medically assisted suicide, according to Compassion & Choices, an advocacy organization that backs the policy. Corinne Carey, the group's local campaign director, said lawmakers had 'recognized how important it is to give terminally ill New Yorkers the autonomy they deserve over their own end-of-life experiences.' 'The option of medical aid in dying provides comfort, allowing those who are dying to live their time more fully and peacefully until the end,' said Carey.

Planning to vote in New Jersey's June 10 primary? This is what you need to know
Planning to vote in New Jersey's June 10 primary? This is what you need to know

Yahoo

time38 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Planning to vote in New Jersey's June 10 primary? This is what you need to know

The New Jersey primary election is under way. Voters should know their options before heading to the polls. This year's gubernatorial primary will be held June 10, and it is a packed field for the top spot on both sides of the aisle. There are 11 candidates in all — six Democrats and five Republicans. They are vying to represent their respective party in the race for governor this November. There are also contested local primary elections and some contested races for seats in the New Jersey Assembly, the lower house of the Legislature. It's also the first primary to be held without the county line ballot design, so voters will be able to familiarize themselves with the new design with the sample ballots they're set to receive by mail in the coming days. The block ballot design, which is used in all 49 other states, will replace the county line which traditionally gave candidates endorsed by the county party preferred ballot placement, and an edge in their efforts. It was dismantled by a federal judge last year. New Jersey has what's considered a semi-closed primary because all voters have to declare a party affiliation to participate, but unaffiliated voters can do so at the polls. Unaffiliated voters can register while voting in personon Election Day for either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. After an unaffiliated voter casts an in-person vote in the Democratic or Republican Party primary election, the voter will be affiliated with that political party going forward. The voter can change affiliation by completing, signing and returning a change of party affiliation form to the municipal clerk or county commissioner of registration. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot has passed and early in-person voting has concluded. Election Day for this year's primary will be June 10. Polls are open June 10 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. That is the deadline to postmark a mail-in ballot for it to be eligible. Mail-in ballots can also be delivered to County Boards of Election and authorized ballot drop boxes by 8 p.m. on June 10. Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@ This article originally appeared on NJ primary election 2025: How to vote on June 10 date

A Wichita City Council candidate taped campaign material in City Hall. Can she do that?
A Wichita City Council candidate taped campaign material in City Hall. Can she do that?

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

A Wichita City Council candidate taped campaign material in City Hall. Can she do that?

In our Reality Check stories, Wichita Eagle journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Story idea? tips@ LaWanda DeShazer, a candidate for the open District 1 seat on the Wichita City Council, posted — then deleted — a campaign video she taped in City Hall. The taping violated a city policy that prohibits any type of campaigning inside city-owned buildings. The video was taped on June 4 and posted on Facebook later in the week to promote DeShazer's campaign launch event that weekend. While it was being taped, a Wichita Eagle reporter saw a member of City Hall staff ask DeShazer to not tape inside the building. The video had been deleted by Monday morning, after the event and after an Eagle reporter questioned DeShazer about it. 'There's a lot of new people running for office. … We don't know these nuances,' DeShazer said. Democrats crowd into race for open Wichita City Council seat. Who's running? The city said the policy that prohibits campaigning on public property has no enforcement mechanism. 'The City focuses on education and we would share the policy with candidates,' city spokesperson Megan Lovely said. A separate state statute prohibits campaigning in city-owned buildings through means of distributing literature and campaign materials unless other candidates have the opportunity to do so. But it doesn't explicitly prohibit filming campaign material on city property. People found in violation of the state statute are subject to a $500 fine or a month in jail. DeShazer said she thought her video being filmed in City Hall was OK after current District 1 council member Brandon Johnson posted a video shot outside McAfee Pool endorsing another candidate, Joseph Shepard. Johnson was wearing a city of Wichita shirt in the video. 'The endorsement video featuring Councilmember Brandon Johnson was filmed outside McAfee Pool, a city-operated entity. In doing so, we remained in compliance with both the Wichita City Code and City Policy #20,' Shepard said in a statement. 'Our filming respected these guidelines. We ensured there was no disruption to pedestrian or vehicle access and remained outside the facility's fence line.' Johnson backed Shepard's statement, saying Shepard reviewed city code before filming the endorsement video. 'It is unfortunate that Ms. DeShazer is suggesting that because she did not follow municipal code and Council policy, that one of her opponents did the same,' Johnson said in a statement. 'The fact that he and his team went the additional steps of reviewing guidelines is yet another reason he should be the Council Member for District 1.' Chris Pumpelly, who's also running for the seat, said he didn't find the video to be inappropriate since DeShazer is a private citizen. But he added already-elected officials must be held to a higher standard. 'The voters of District 1 are smart enough to know the City isn't endorsing a candidate in this race, but it's important as an elected official to make that line VERY clear in all your actions,' Pumpelly said in a statement to The Eagle. Other candidates in the crowded race to replace the term-limited Johnson are Aujanae Bennett and Darryl Carrington. A primary election is set for Aug. 5, with the top two candidates moving forward to the general election on Nov. 4. DeShazer said more education should be provided to candidates about campaigning when they file. 'I'm not trying to violate rules because I want to make things better for people, not worse,' she said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store