Trans lifeguards should not be allowed. A transgender person was rejected for a lifeguard gig with the City of Jacksonville last week for going topless during tryouts in front of dozens of children, city officials said.

     “Through a citizen expressing concerns, my administration became aware of an incident where a biological female trainee in a lifeguard program was topless at one of our public pools,” Mayor Lenny Curry said in a statement.  The unnamed applicant — a biological female who now identifies as male but has not had “top” surgery to remove their breasts — was vying for a position with twenty other trainees as young as 15 at the Cecil Aquatic Center.

     The person’s top was removed during a training exercise as dozens of children and their parents who sharing the pool looked on in shock, a source told The Post.  Jacksonville officials received numerous complaints about the incident, prompting the response from city officials.  Curry, a Republican, said the person was rejected for the job because of the incident — and that parents should not have to be “caught in the crossfire of battles over wokeism.”

     I see no reason for our lifeguards to be forced to make changes to existing rules mandating that biological females cover their chests,” Curry said in a statement. “Our parks and public pools are meant to be a place where families can feel safe to enjoy themselves.”  But a local transgender activist told Action Jax the applicant should have been allowed to vie for a spot according to his chosen gender. “This individual here was coming for a position to protect the children and people at the pool, they came here for one person and were denied for another reason completely not related to it,” Cielo Sunsarae said. 

     “Kids don’t sexualize breasts, it’s the adults that are making it out bigger than what it is. What is the difference if the person had top surgery or not?” Sunsarae said the rejection showed a lack of respect for the rights of transgender people.  “No matter how much you don’t agree with someone’s ideals, just respect them,” he said