Hundreds of families gathered at a Missouri library to hear professional surfer Bethany Hamilton and former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines share their stories of overcoming obstacles as they navigated transgender athletes competing in women’s sports .
As they shared about their athletic career experiences, Gaines and Hamilton were met with transgender activists at the event. The activists, draped in transgender pride flags and themed clothing, made their presence known with random disturbances from the crowd.
One activist was seen dressed as a shark to mock Hamilton, who survived a 2003 shark attack, which resulted in her left arm being bitten off. After the shark attack, Hamilton was not deterred and returned to professional surfing.
“We’ve seen activists at almost every one of our story hours. Sometimes they’re noisy, sometimes they’re dressed in drag, but these were downright nasty,” BRAVE Books CEO Trent Talbot told the Washington Examiner.
He added, “The activist who showed up dressed as a shark to target Bethany Hamilton is a terrible person. Once again, those who claim they are most tolerant turn out to be the most callous.”