Teenaged Boy Says Ted Cruz Staffers Just Kicked Him Out of a Maryland Rally Because He’s Transgender
16-Year Old Accompanied by His Mother Says ‘Cruz Volunteers Outside, They Laughed at Us’
A transgender teenaged boy says he was just kicked out of Ted Cruz’s rally in Frederick, Maryland because he’s transgender. James Van Kuilenburg says he and his mother attended the rally Thursday “to gain a better understanding of his platform.” They had tickets, entered the rally, and “were very respectful and abided by all the rules the people at entrance communicated to us,” James writes on his Facebook page.
“We went in, sitting down and waiting for the speech to begin. We were silent and respectful. Before we even had a chance to see Cruz, I was tapped on the shoulder. When I turned, there was a Campaign Staff member, asking me to leave.”
James says he is “a visibly trans person,” and “proud of it, so I wore my trans pride flag around my shoulders and a National Center for Transgender Equality shirt. The campaign staff member kept holding on to me, saying the ‘event staff were asking me to leave.'”
James says that staff members repeatedly “grabbed” him  and ultimately “pushed” him “out of the venue.” He says they called him “ma’am,” and told him he was “trespassing.”
He says that even though he had not been disruptive they said they “had ‘observed us taking part in a event outside.'”
“When trying to explain what had happened to the Cruz volunteers outside, they laughed at us,” James says. “The level of disrespect and aggression there was outstanding.”
The Fredrick News-Post reports James “said he attended to show Cruz supporters that rhetoric about gay and transgender rights hurts real people, like him.”
“The fact that I’m thrown out based on my identity is ridiculous,†he told the paper.Â
Here’s a short clip of Cruz’s speech from that rally:
Â
Image: Screenshot via FrederickNewsPost/YouTube

Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.
![]() |