Statement on Concerns Regarding Transphobia in the Phantom Regiment Guard

This is a community notice regarding transphobic harassment at Phantom Regiment last summer that was poorly handled by the guard caption head and director. As you read this, please keep in mind that our goal is not to “drag” Phantom Regiment. The community member who received this harassment asked us for help sharing their story so other trans guard performers can make a fully informed choice regarding their 2022 summer. MAASIN and the reporter also feel sharing this benefits the community because this case is a good learning experience for other staff and members who may encounter similar issues. If you know the identity of the reporter/community member who experienced this we ask that you keep it to yourself so as not to potentially subject them to harassment for sharing their story.

Last summer, a non-binary color guard performer returned to Phantom Regiment for their fourth season with the corps. They were not out for all their previous seasons and some performers and staff knew their old name and pronouns. One rehearsal when this member made a mistake on the field, a guard staff member named Sheldon allegedly said, “[community member name] if you keep acting like that, I will call you by your other name, don't think I won't." The community member stated they told him this was hurtful, and he allegedly responded by saying, “I will only call you that if you piss me off, and you don't piss me off much anymore." The community member alleged they had a second similar interaction then later the situation escalated to Sheldon saying, “[community member name] shut up or I will call you by the other name, you had better stop" from the box, on a microphone, during a full-corps rehearsal.

The community member decided to voice their concerns to the guard caption head (Stephanie) and corps director (David). Stephanie allegedly said Sheldon did not do anything wrong because he did not actually say the reporter’s old name. The community member stated there was a meeting between themself, Stephanie, and David in which David was supposed to mediate. Allegedly, David did not mediate at all and allowed Stephanie to interrupt and talk over the community member for the entirety of the meeting. He also allegedly did not pick up calls or respond to messages from the reporter after the fact to address these actions. The community member ended up deciding to end their age-out summer early and return home, a hurtful and unsatisfying conclusion to their DCI marching career. 

So, what went wrong here? A trans person’s old name they no longer use is commonly referred to as a “deadname” because it reflects an old version of themself that was harmfully imposed upon them before they were able to embrace themself. Using a trans person’s deadname is a transphobic act of disrespect and dehumanization. Threatening dehumanization as a person in a position of power is an unacceptable misuse of that power. While Sheldon did not use the reporter’s deadname, the action was still reprehensible because he used his power to instill the same fear in a trans member that a cisgender member would not be subject to. Sheldon’s alleged repeated use of this threat – despite being informed of the harm by the reporter – is unacceptable and a textbook example of transphobia.

If Stephanie and David were properly educated on trans issues, they would know the threats to deadname a student are still transphobic and should be taken seriously because a cisgender student would not be subjected to this treatment and emotional harm regardless of whether or not the deadname was actually used. Some of you may be wondering if perhaps the guard staff and corps director were confused because the student did not “look trans.” Someone’s status as a trans person who has asserted their identity should be taken seriously regardless of personal choices to medically transition, such as taking hormone replacement therapy or receiving gender-affirming surgery. Someone does not have to “look trans'' because there is no one way to “looks trans.” Someone does not have to medically transition to the “opposite gender” to be trans because gender is a personal feeling and how that is expressed is a deeply personal choice along a vast spectrum. 

The community member sought our support in filing a whistleblower complaint regarding their treatment with Phantom Regiment, so we abided. The board let us know they will not discuss the outcomes of whistleblower reports but are taking the matter seriously and investigating. We initially had hope that we would be able to positively work together to create a better environment for trans students in the guard by offering guidance from trans MAASIN members through a discussion or workshop however nothing was able to come to fruition. The hiring back of the staff who threatened to deadname the reporter, lack of positive interaction with the DEI committee, and lack of apology to the reporter have left us in a place where we are not confident trans performers will have a safe and healthy learning environment in the Phantom Regiment guard. 

We sincerely hope some sort of resolution is still being worked on behind the scenes and there is some level of accountability for last summer’s events. We wish the best for current and future Phantom Regiment members and staff in running a safe and healthy corps. To everyone else, please use this situation as a learning opportunity to improve the treatment of trans people in your organization. It is all too common that cisgender people think of trans inclusion as separate showers and choosing where you sleep in the gender-segregated sleeping area, but it is more than that. Proper trans inclusion is taking the time to unpack your cissexist biases and notions of gender and then to truly listen to trans people when they tell you what they need. This community member did not ask for a lot and took multiple opportunities to educate others yet was still failed by some ignorant staff members.

This situation did not have to end this way. Now that we have informed you of this, we hope similar situations either do not occur or are addressed appropriately. If you are interested in learning more, general guidelines we published last summer from our previous Trans Discussion Circle can be found below. We have several trans community members who are always willing to help organizations set positive examples and do right by their trans members. If you would like more assistance in unpacking what trans inclusion for your organization looks like or if you have any questions about anything you read here, please reach out to us at info@maasin.net. 

Thanks for reading and we look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely,
The MAASIN Whistleblower Support Team