A prominent trans activist based in Philadelphia was arrested on charges of raping two minors, at least one of whom was under the age of 13. Kendall Stephens, 37, had recently been working in a leadership position at a children’s home for vulnerable youth.
Stephens was arrested on December 18 after charges were filed against him by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Authorities apprehended him after he allegedly assaulted two boys aged 14 and 9, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
Stephens is reportedly accused of sexually abusing the 9-year-old at least three times in 2022, beginning when the child was 8. Stephens also allegedly gave the 14-year-old gifts to “keep him quiet” after raping him. He also allegedly told one of the victims that he would be locked up if he told anyone about the abuse.
Eight counts related to the sexual abuse of children have been laid against him, including indecent assault against a person less than 13 years old, rape, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minor sexual offenses, and endangering the welfare of children as a parent or guardian. The incidents are said to have occurred in September of this year.
According to a court summary obtained by Reduxx, Stephens has been recorded as a “female.”
At the time of his arrest, Stephens was known for being a prominent trans activist in Philadelphia, and maintained positions of power within the city’s top LGBT organizations.
Over the past three years, Stephens had been involved with Bethany Children’s Home in Berks County, where he sat on the Board of Directors. According to the foster home’s website, Stephens, who resided at Bethany as a teen, was chosen for the role due to his experience as a “civil rights activist,” and because he was pursuing a degree in Public Health, Social Work, Communication and Activism from Temple University.
In addition to being in a leadership role among at-risk youth, Stephens has been influential in local politics.
Beginning in 2022, he worked for the District Attorney Office’s (DAO) LGBTQ Advisory Board and the Philadelphia Police Department’s LGBTQIA+ Liaison Committee. In January of last year, the DAO issued a press release announcing the committee, created in response to a “nationwide increase in reported violence toward transgender women of color.”
The LGBTQIA+ Advisory Board was designed to work with “criminal justice partners to address shortcomings that historically have made queer Philadelphians both more vulnerable to violence and to over-policing and prosecution.”
Stephens first came to the attention of the DAO in August of 2020, when, while studying at Temple University, he claimed to have been the victim of a major hate crime. Stephens said he was mobbed inside of his home without provocation by three individuals. According to Stephens, his attackers told him “you are a man, you deserve this” as they beat him.
Shortly after, Stephens set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for medical and other expenses which ultimately racked up more than $35,000 in donations.
As news of the assault on Stephens spread, District Attorney Larry Krasner took a personal interest in the incident, publicly expressing his support for Stephens shortly after securing a hate crime conviction against Tymesha Wearing.
“Nearly three years ago, Kendall Stephens endured a frightening crime that was intended to demean and silence her. Instead, Ms. Stephens continues to speak out loudly on behalf of other queer victims of violent crime – all while pursuing graduate studies,” DA Krasner said in February. “This criminal case is now closed, but Ms. Stephens will never stop fighting for the respect, support, and protections that queer people deserve in order to live safely, freely, and joyfully.”
The trans activist was also mentioned favorably during a June 2021 session of Pennsylvania’s Congress by Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, who was speaking in support of a proposal to enshrine gender identity in law as a protected characteristic via the Equality Act.
“I rise today in recognition of Pride month and to celebrate the rich history of LGBTQ activism in the greater Philadelphia area,” Scanlon said. “Today, activism within Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community continues through… people like my friend, Kendall Stephens, who’s pushing for Pennsylvania to update it’s hate crime statute to finally include LGBTQ people as a protected class.”
In April, Stephens announced on his Instagram that he had been given the Diamond Award, which he described as “the highest recognition a Temple student can receive.” In his post, he quotes Temple University’s description of the award as being “reserved for those who have demonstrated superior leadership, academic achievement, service to the University, and impact on a community (local, regional, or global).”
The photo of the award was shared by Stephens just one week after he attempted to publicly shame Temple University leaders for refusing his application to serve as the Undergraduate Ceremony Commencement Speaker.
“I NEVER had a A FIGHTING chance. No one on the committee that chose the student speaker was Black, Brown, or trans-identified. I was passed over due to my intersecting marginalized identities!!,” Stephens wrote. “People of color who are also trans will always be dismissed and discredited unless we have a board of trustees and top administration that reflects the diversity of our community. SHAME ON TEMPLE!!!!”
Stephens appears to have supported prison abolition, as evidenced by a video shared in June by Philly Trans March, where he can be seen speaking in public with a megaphone. In the video, Stephens argues that “people are dying at an accelerated rate,” and that politicians are not “supporting and protecting all of the people who are LGBTQ+ identified.”
In the surrounding area, a hand-written list of demands can be seen. “Free all incarcerated trans people,” reads one, and another, “abolish the police.”
Additional demands include the full decriminalization of the sex industry, “comprehensive sex ed” in schools, and an executive order establishing Pennsylvania as a “sanctuary state,” where minors can be given puberty-halting drugs.
Multiple news outlets have reported on Stephens’ arrest by referring to him as a “woman” and using feminine pronouns.
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