Jill De Vries, a wife and mom of four young children in Pella, spoke during Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Though the focus of the meeting was supposed to be on the community center, the conversation centered around the city’s aquatic center where a middle teenaged biological female was allowed to go topless and use the men’s facilities with men and boys of all ages due to her “gender identity.”
De Vries said that while the community center discussion is important, if the issue isn’t addressed, the individual could show up at the community center and play basketball without a shirt on and the city would be right back at the whole issue.
De Vries read a letter that was sent by someone else to the council. The letter said that they believe the vast majority of citizens are in “shock and sadness” that the city is allowing biological females to expose their breasts in a place where children are now at risk of indecent exposure.
“This family-friendly facility is now a place where children are at risk of indecent exposure, whether the perpetrator is a creepy old man on the playground or a teenage girl at the pool it is equally criminal behavior,” the letter said. “And the city of Pella should be treating it as such. As far as I’m concerned, the city of Pella is complicit in this abuse of children if it attempts to look the other way.”
The letter said the town’s “youngest and most vulnerable citizens” are at risk of being subjected to images that would be considered child pornography.
“These images cannot be unseen,” the letter said. “Innocence can’t be restored. The damage is permanent. It is absolutely unconscionable that the city of Pella is allowing its public, supposedly child-safe spaces, to be places where biological female minors can parade topless. Our children deserve our protection, sometimes from themselves.”
The letter expressed concern that the aquatic center was a taxpayer-funded project.
“It was designed for children and families,” it said. “Now my family is effectively prevented from using the pool because of the sexually inappropriate behavior of one patron that is being tolerated by the city of Pella. It is not fair for parents to have to choose between the risk of exposing their young children to pornographic images or giving up the use of the aquatic center that their taxpayer dollars funded.
“We did not fund an adults-only topless beach. We paid for a family-friendly pool, with slides and a baby area for kids, parents and everyone to enjoy in a respectful, safe way. This is literally a case of the emperor having no clothes on. Will Pella’s leaders have the courage to speak the truth and end this evil foolishness?”
One proposed solution would be a policy requiring rash guards for all patrons.
“I am sure the risk of lawsuit weighs heavily on the city,” the letter said. “I know that’s a concern and I hope the changes like the previously suggested would be acceptable and accommodating to everyone. But I think as a culture we sometimes forget that the ordinary moms and dads and children who make up the majority of America have rights too.
“I draw the line here: No, no, you may not show my son your breasts. You do not have the right for any reason. If this is an issue that eventually takes Pella into court, I for one say so be it. I can think of no better use of our resources than ensuring that our kids grow up in a safe and healthy community. It is a battle worth fighting. There are times when you have to choose to take a culturally unponpular and potentially costly stand.”
