(Murfreesboro, TN) WGNS was at the "Teens Against Gender Mutilation Rally" on Saturday (01/28/2023). The event was held on the Murfreesboro Civic Plaza in front of the City Hall. 15-Year-old Hannah Faulkner helped to organize the entire event and told WGNS NEWS the rally was not organized around hate, but instead love… Click the photo above this story for a slideshow (Photo Set 1) of photos from the event AND scroll down for more details, a second photo-slideshow (Photo Set 2) and a video from the event this past Saturday.

At the weekend rally, there was no official crowd count, but the number of those in attendance appeared to be between 500 and 1,000 people. A large number were there as Christians to show love, while a handful of guests wanted to make a religious or political statement. Also at the event were a group of men dressed in black and yellow, believed to be part of a group called the “*Proud Boys.” There were also a lot of crowd-goers who showed support to the LGBTQ and transgender community, some to protest detransitioners (those who transitioned from their biological state from birth to another sex and then transitioned back to their biological state). Of course, many of those who showed-up were just plain curious and stood on the outskirts of the gathering to observe.

Landon Starbuck with Freedom Forever spoke before the group on Saturday and said the number of transgender clinics has grown by 15,000%... Starbuck went on to say that those who work at transgender clinics tell parents that their children were born in the wrong body...

Starbuck brought light a law in the neighboring country of Canada that allows for parents or others to be arrested if they don't side with their child's gender identity... In other words, if the parents' daughter is born female, but claims they identify themselves as a male and the parent does not affirm such a statement, they could face criminal charges. Canada's Bill “C-16” was passed into law in June of 2017.

One protester at the rally said that gender dysphoria is something that people have to live with and should have the freedom to do what they please, even if the decision is to change their identity from male to female, or vice-versa... Others, didn't want to talk to the media... States like Iowa are part of a handful of locations across the country that have put into place laws that prohibit certain types of gender-affirming treatments available to youth, thus making the treatments available to adults only. 

Chloe Cole is well known for speaking out against surgery to transform a girl to a boy or a boy to a girl. Cole spoke at the event about her journey, that started at age 13, to become a boy... She elaborated on how bad of a decision it was to begin such extreme treatments at such a young age... Cole claimed that she and her parents were mislead by so-called medical experts who moved forward with hormone treatment and the double mastectomy... One of the things that doctors allegedly asked Cole's parents was, Would you rather have a dead daughter, or a terrific son?” Cole speaks nationally to large groups and warns other teens about the life changing trans-surgery she underwent and how her mental health as a teenager took her down a dark path that she received what she suggested was the wrong care and wrong guidance, but doctors called it ‘gender-affirming care.’

Cole is referred to as a "Detransitioner," which means the stopping or reversal of a gender transition by social, legal or medical means. If you were biologically a male but had surgery to move towards becoming a female, but decided to go back to your original / biological self, you are a detransitioner. This can include those who are one sex, but dress as the opposite and act like the opposite, but later go back to how you were born biologically, you would be considered a detransitioner. Cole had a double mastectomy to remove her breast, a decision she regrets to have done today. 

Throughout the rally and while guest speakers addressed the crowd, those who were in support of medical procedures to transform a male into a female or vice-versa, made as much noise as possible to drown out the voice of those speaking...

One family in attendance drove two-hours to hear the speeches made on Saturday. The mother, who was with her children and husband, told WGNS News... She called the pressure on children to become the opposite sex they were born as - - a movement...

One man told WGNS what he was seeing at the rally, describing in his opinion what was happening on the Civic Plaza, but the background noise made it hard to hear his thoughts...

In October of last year, Vanderbilt University Medical Center paused their gender affirming surgeries for patients under the age of 18, but their Pediatric Transgender Clinic remains open, as well as their adult Clinic for Transgender Health.

Of all the countries throughout the world, about 12 to 15 actually criminalize transgender people and less than 100 countries have laws to allow their residents to officially change their gender.

Hear more of Starbuck's speech here...

Hear more from the family that drove 2-hours to be there... The family told WGNS News they were there to support and to show love to those who decided to detransition back to their biological self, especially the ones who are under the age of 18.

The University of Maryland released a study (click here for study) for the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism that focused on the Proud Boys. Their study involved data collected since their reported formation in 2016.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS AND MORE PHOTO SLIDESHOWS (2-Different slideshows of photos, one by clicking the top photo and the second by clicking the photo below the video, scroll down).

Murfreesboro Police not only kept the entrance to the Linebaugh Library clear so that those patrons would not feel threatened, but they were beleived to have videoed the crowd from atop the City Hall and on the ground through bodycams. Armed police were also atop the City Hall to see and monitor the entire crowd during the rally. 

15-Year-old Hannah Faulkner was on the air with WGNS’ Bryan Barrett and State Representative Mike Sparks last week to talk about the rally she helped to spearhead and organize. Hear that interview HERE.

Again, organizers named the event "Teens Against Gender Mutilation Rally".

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