Pismo Beach mayoral candidate screams at autistic transgender kid, brands her sin to God: report

A California mayoral candidate is facing accusations of berating a transgender teenager on Halloween, allegedly telling the child she was a “sin to God” after she refused to accept a religious pamphlet while trick-or-treating.Shelby Bowen, who ran for mayor of Pismo Beach in San Luis Obispo County, allegedly confronted 16-year-old River outside her Shell Beach home on Oct.31, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune.River’s mother, Katt Winter, told the newspaper that she had taken her three children, including 12-year-old twins, trick-or-treating near Dinosaur Caves Park, a Halloween tradition the family has followed for about a decade.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story But the family’s first stop of the night took an unexpected turn when they encountered Bowen, who was handing out candy along with copies of a Christian pamphlet titled “A Pumpkin Tale.“River, an autistic transgender girl, told The Tribune that she declined the religious material, prompting Bowen to allegedly become aggressive.“She grabbed me… very firmly, and forced the pamphlet into my trick-or-treat bag that I was using to transport candy,” River said.The teenager also claimed Bowen was using the occasion to promote her political campaign, telling young trick-or-treaters to support her candidacy.“She was telling the little kids, like five-year-old girls, to vote for her, and she said to little kids that ‘You have met the mayor,'” River said.According to River, the confrontation grew increasingly hostile when Bowen allegedly called her a “sin to God” and began shouting insults.“She exclaimed the phrase, ‘You people are the problem,’ and started screaming, ‘Get your filthy hands off my candy, and your filthy body out of my city,'” River said.River said she ...