High School Girls Walk Off Track in Protest Over Transgender Athlete
Camas High School runners forfeited a race in opposition to a biological male competing on the girls' team.
Thirteen members of the Camas High School girls' cross country team walked off the course during a meet against Battle Ground High School in Washington, protesting the inclusion of a transgender athlete who had previously competed on the boys' team. The protest involved approximately half of the 24 girls on the Camas team.
When the race commenced, some runners began competing while others walked past the starting line and into the trees, forfeiting the competition. Holly Burns, a runner on the Camas team, participated in the protest after her teammates decided to take a stand. Parents of the runners also voiced their opposition. Kevin Burns, father of Holly, held a protest sign at the event and reported being approached by security.
The transgender athlete's participation was permitted under the rules of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), the state's governing body for high school sports. However, the incident has sparked renewed debate surrounding transgender athletes in women's sports.
Washington state voters are set to consider Initiative 638 on November 3. If passed, this initiative would prohibit biological males from competing in K-12 girls' sports. Currently, 27 other states have similar laws, though these were enacted by state legislatures rather than through voter initiatives.