Iconic Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter tweeted her support and encouragement to Sunnie Kahle, the 8-year-old girl who was removed by her grandparents from a Virginia Christian elementary school after school personnel had warned her that cutting her hair short, liking sports, and wearing sneakers to school were inappropriate expressions of “exhibiting an alternative gender identity.”
Carter tweeted, “Sending love to little Sunnie Kahle! Stay strong and love who you are..short hair, sneakers and all.”
The wondrous entertainer’s words of encouragement are a welcome contrast to the letter Kahle’s grandparents received from Timberlake Christian School, which informed the student’s family that the 8-year-old would not be welcome back for the 2014-2015 school year unless her dress and behavior followed suit “with her God-ordained identity.”
School administrators claimed Kahle’s gender expression “disturbed the classroom environment” and say that the school is a Bible-believing institution that does not support homosexuality, “sexual immorality,” or gender nonconformity. Though she is not transgender and identifies as female, the school’s treatment Kahle makes it clear that LGBT students are not welcome at Timberlake Christian School.
Carter has been an outspoken supporter of both women's rights and the LGBT community for many years. Most recently, she appeared in the documentary Wonder Women, which highlighted the connection between the character Wonder Woman and the progress of gender equality over the past several decades. The program screened at film festivals throughout the country and aired on PBS's Independent Lens. Additionally, Carter was named Super Grand Marshal of Washington, D.C.’s pride festivities, Capital Pride, this past June and has raised awareness around issues of bullying and equality.
