Transgender bathroom debate inspires Stamford student’s artwork

“Questioning,” an oil painting by Stamford resident and King School sophomore Ashley Xu. “Questioning,” an oil painting by Stamford resident and King School sophomore Ashley Xu. Photo: Contributed Photo: Contributed Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Transgender bathroom debate inspires Stamford student’s artwork 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

STAMFORD — A King School sophomore has won a national award for an oil painting inspired by the national debate over transgender bathroom access.

Ashley Xu, a Stamford resident, recently won the National Gold Medal in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Award for “Questioning,” the only oil painting from Connecticut to win a gold medal this year. The art piece will be displayed in New York City in early June.

Xu’s painting features a little boy who seems to be questioning which bathroom he should go in: the male bathroom, the female bathroom or the gender neutral one.

The debate over transgender restroom access intensified last year after North Carolina passed a bill requiring transgender people to use public bathrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates. Similar bills have been proposed in several other states.

The Scholastic award is part of the nation’s longest-running program for creative teens in grades seven through 12.

At the Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards Program earlier this year, Xu received a Silver Key Award for her self-portrait charcoal piece and a Gold Key Award for the “Questioning” painting.

noliveira@stamfordadvocate.com