A Colo. GOP chair boycotts dental practice for employing trans worker

The fundraising chair of the Colorado Republican Party and a vocal pro-Make America Great Again (MAGA) activist announced recently she is boycotting a pediatric dental office in the state for reportedly employing a front-desk employee who identifies as transgender.

On April 30, Darcy Schoening, the state GOP's director of special initiatives, wrote on X that she would stop taking her children to Colorado Springs Pediatric Dentistry North in Colorado Springs due to the practice employing a transgender employee. It has not been confirmed whether or not a transgender person works at this practice.

"Pediatric dentists should know better than to employ men who think they're women and identify as females as front desk workers," Schoening, who had been taking her kids to the practice for six years, wrote in her post. "Having a trans person with a male voice and weird clothes and nails at the desk of a business for kids is confusing. It's grooming. Shame on you."

In 2007, Colorado amended the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, becoming one of the first states in the U.S. to prohibit discrimination in employment based on gender identity and recognize transgender status as a protected class.

Darcy Shoening. Image courtesy of @Darcy4CO/X.

Since posting her announcement, it has garnered more than 137,000 views and has been loved by 1,400 people. It has been reposted more than 270 times and has racked up more than 330 comments, some of which supported her stance, others were disgusted, and some took personal shots at her.  

Poster JustDeplorable wrote, "Men who dress like women and seek out employment around children are pedophiles."

Another poster, Jimi Mack, applauded her: "Proud of ya. If we can't vote this crap out at least we can vote with our dollars."

However, others weren't on her side.

Poster MsBehaved asked some questions, "Did you inspect the receptionists genitalia? At the dentist office? By your tweet you are more dangerous than the person at work earning a paycheck. They did their job, and you spewed hatred towards a person you don't know."

On the other hand, Julie Studt, a poster, told Schoening to move on, writing, "This is not an airport. No reason to announce your departure. I'm sure this business will survive without you & your hate."

Meanwhile, one poster appeared to be over these tactics and agreed with some commenters that her comments were defamation. "It's certainly defamation. Hope they sue. If you wonder why the @cologop it getting weaker and weaker – it’s stupid s—t like this," No Republicans wrote.

This type of commentary from Schoening is not new.

In May 2023, Schoening, a chairwoman of a Colorado chapter of the conservative parent group Moms for Liberty, made headlines for claiming that President Joe Biden, as well as teachers and unions, were working to turn more children lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer or questioning+. In September 2023, she stepped down from the organization.

In December 2023, Schoening organized a protest in Denver after the Colorado Supreme Court issued a decision barring former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot. In March 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned that decision, barring states from disqualifying candidates from U.S. office under a constitutional provision involving insurrection.