SANTEE, Calif. (KGTV) — A transgender woman who is facing a firestorm for using the female locker room at the YMCA is taking her voice to city council.
Christynne Lili Wrene Wood said she will appear before the Santee City Council next Wednesday.
“It’s important that they finally get to hear the truth and they finally get to put a face on this scary transgender woman who was misgendered,” she said Thursday in an interview beside the pool at the Cameron YMCA.
Wood, 66, who transitioned more than five years ago, said the adrenaline from a large protest Wednesday night against her use of the women’s locker room had started to wear off.
The protest attracted hundreds of people and dozens of counter-protesters.
It comes after Rebecca Phillips, a 17-year-old girl, told a January 11 Santee City Council as she was showering in December: “I saw a naked male in the women’s locker room.”
Phillips, who didn’t appear to attend the protest, has since clarified she saw the person’s ‘backside.’
The teenager hasn’t responded to a request for an interview from ABC10News.
Wood said she showers in one of the five private stalls in the YMCA’s locker room with the curtain closed.
She said she’s overwhelmed by the amount of support she’s received and isn’t worried about online threats of violence that have circulated and triggered a large police response at Thursday night’s protest.
“I’m not totally defenseless. You know I know how to give an insult out and what areas to kick and punch, at least enough to be able to run till I can get to my car and get out of here.”
Santee resident Laura Newbre is one of Wood’s ‘aqua sisters’ and said many from her swim group will be attending next week’s meeting to support Wood.
“My husband and I are thinking about putting some signs together that say we support (Christynne) so that we have the visual.”
And despite threats of violence, Wood says she’s not scared.
“I’m not totally defenseless. You know I know how to give an insult out and what areas to kick and punch, at least enough to be able to run till I can get to my car and get out of here.”
