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Transgender high school athletes no-show state track championships following backlash
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Put Queers Down!
May 29, 2023, 10:45:03 PM5/29/23
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Two transgender female high school athletes were no-shows for
their race at the California State preliminary Track and Field
Championship on Friday — a week after they clinched a spot in
the elite race.
Athena Ryan, from Sonoma Academy, and Lorelei Barrett of Sherman
Oaks Buckley, opted not to participate in the scheduled girl’s
1,600-meter run at Buchanan High in Clovis, Calif., according to
The Los Angeles Times.
“The CIF is disappointed for two of our student-athletes and
their families because due to the actions of others, they found
it necessary to withdraw from the State Track and Field
Championships out of concern for the student’s well being,” the
California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for
high school sports in California, wrote in a statement to the
outlet.
The CIF expressed that the organization “strongly denounces
discriminatory or harassing behaviors” the student-athletes have
been subjected to and are disappointed the runners have chosen
not to compete.
Athena Ryan of Sonoma Academy did not show up to the state
championship following mounting backlash from critics upset she
is competing as a female.
Athena Ryan of Sonoma Academy did not show up to the state
championship following mounting backlash from critics upset she
is competing as a female.
Twitter/@Riley_Gaines_
Last week, Ryan and Barrett qualified to compete for a chance of
winning states after placing in the top three of the girls’
1,600-meter races at their respective sectional meets.
Ryan, a junior, finished in second place as protests formed,
calling her participation in the competition unfair to the other
girls.
She also came under fire after a runner who placed fourth was
seen on video waving to the crowd before appearing to give a
thumbs-down — a gesture taken entirely out of context, the
school told The Post.
Barrett, who won third at the Southern Section Masters event
last Saturday, was also subjected to similar pressure from the
crowd, with a spectator allegedly yelling to “Trip her”
repeatedly while she ran her 1,600-meter race, which can be
heard on a video.
Lorelei Barrett of Sherman Oaks Buckley won second place in her
sectional meet to compete in the state championship this weekend.
Lorelei Barrett of Sherman Oaks Buckley won third place in her
sectional meet last week to compete in the state championship
this weekend.
Twitter/@Riley_Gaines_
The Post reached out to Sonoma Academy and Sherman Oaks Buckley.
The outlet asked five local coaches of runners who were in line
to compete in Friday’s 1,600-meter heat were asked they felt
about transgender females being allegeable.
Three coaches said they would support any athlete who shows up
to compete, regardless of how they identify.
The two other coaches shared that they believed transgender
girls should run in their own separate races, the outlet
reported.
Protesters came out to the meet last week to voice their
displeasure that Ryan was allowed to compete with the other
females.
Protesters came out to the meet last week to voice their
displeasure that Ryan was allowed to compete with the other
females.
Twitter/Womenarereals
Ryan (third from left) after winning a spot to compete in the
state championship last week, after she secured the second place
spot.
Ryan (third from left) after winning a spot to compete in the
state championship last week, after she secured the second place
spot.
Twitter/Womenarereals
“Adults have created this problem,” said Oaks Christian coach
Wesley Smith. “Adults need to fix this problem.”
The California Interscholastic Federation enacted its “Gender
Identity Participation” rules in 2013, stating, “All students
should have the opportunity to participate in CIF athletics
and/or activities in a manner that is consistent with their
gender identity.”
“All of our athletes, all the eligible athletes, are afforded
the opportunity to compete with the gender they feel most
comfortable with,” Brian Seymour, the CIF’s associate executive
director, told The Los Angeles Times.
College swimming star Riley Gaines slammed the two runners for
not competing saying,: “Did they realize they clearly possess an
unfair advantage?”
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas and Kentucky
swimmer Riley Gaines react after finishing tied for 5th in the
200 Freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving
Championships on March 18th, 2022
Swimmer Lia Thomas and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines react after
finishing tied for 5th in the 200 Freestyle finals at the NCAA
Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18th, 2022.
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The University of Kentucky swimmer has gained notoriety for
vocalizing her displeasure with transgender females competing in
female biological sports since facing Penn swimmer Lia Thomas —
a transgender female.
Gaines tied with Thomas for fifth place in the 200-meter
freestyle NCAA championships in March and has loudly criticized
Thomas since then.
“Women are brave people, but it shouldn’t take bravery to demand
equal treatment. And if our leaders cannot deliver fairness to
sports and athletics, then we need different leaders. Our next
generation of girls deserves to see themselves as champions –
not “oppressors” – and we all deserve a clear voice in this
debate,” Gaines wrote in an op-ed for The Post.
https://nypost.com/2023/05/27/california-transgender-runners-no-
show-state-track-championships-following-backlash/
their race at the California State preliminary Track and Field
Championship on Friday — a week after they clinched a spot in
the elite race.
Athena Ryan, from Sonoma Academy, and Lorelei Barrett of Sherman
Oaks Buckley, opted not to participate in the scheduled girl’s
1,600-meter run at Buchanan High in Clovis, Calif., according to
The Los Angeles Times.
“The CIF is disappointed for two of our student-athletes and
their families because due to the actions of others, they found
it necessary to withdraw from the State Track and Field
Championships out of concern for the student’s well being,” the
California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for
high school sports in California, wrote in a statement to the
outlet.
The CIF expressed that the organization “strongly denounces
discriminatory or harassing behaviors” the student-athletes have
been subjected to and are disappointed the runners have chosen
not to compete.
Athena Ryan of Sonoma Academy did not show up to the state
championship following mounting backlash from critics upset she
is competing as a female.
Athena Ryan of Sonoma Academy did not show up to the state
championship following mounting backlash from critics upset she
is competing as a female.
Twitter/@Riley_Gaines_
Last week, Ryan and Barrett qualified to compete for a chance of
winning states after placing in the top three of the girls’
1,600-meter races at their respective sectional meets.
Ryan, a junior, finished in second place as protests formed,
calling her participation in the competition unfair to the other
girls.
She also came under fire after a runner who placed fourth was
seen on video waving to the crowd before appearing to give a
thumbs-down — a gesture taken entirely out of context, the
school told The Post.
Barrett, who won third at the Southern Section Masters event
last Saturday, was also subjected to similar pressure from the
crowd, with a spectator allegedly yelling to “Trip her”
repeatedly while she ran her 1,600-meter race, which can be
heard on a video.
Lorelei Barrett of Sherman Oaks Buckley won second place in her
sectional meet to compete in the state championship this weekend.
Lorelei Barrett of Sherman Oaks Buckley won third place in her
sectional meet last week to compete in the state championship
this weekend.
Twitter/@Riley_Gaines_
The Post reached out to Sonoma Academy and Sherman Oaks Buckley.
The outlet asked five local coaches of runners who were in line
to compete in Friday’s 1,600-meter heat were asked they felt
about transgender females being allegeable.
Three coaches said they would support any athlete who shows up
to compete, regardless of how they identify.
The two other coaches shared that they believed transgender
girls should run in their own separate races, the outlet
reported.
Protesters came out to the meet last week to voice their
displeasure that Ryan was allowed to compete with the other
females.
Protesters came out to the meet last week to voice their
displeasure that Ryan was allowed to compete with the other
females.
Twitter/Womenarereals
Ryan (third from left) after winning a spot to compete in the
state championship last week, after she secured the second place
spot.
Ryan (third from left) after winning a spot to compete in the
state championship last week, after she secured the second place
spot.
Twitter/Womenarereals
“Adults have created this problem,” said Oaks Christian coach
Wesley Smith. “Adults need to fix this problem.”
The California Interscholastic Federation enacted its “Gender
Identity Participation” rules in 2013, stating, “All students
should have the opportunity to participate in CIF athletics
and/or activities in a manner that is consistent with their
gender identity.”
“All of our athletes, all the eligible athletes, are afforded
the opportunity to compete with the gender they feel most
comfortable with,” Brian Seymour, the CIF’s associate executive
director, told The Los Angeles Times.
College swimming star Riley Gaines slammed the two runners for
not competing saying,: “Did they realize they clearly possess an
unfair advantage?”
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas and Kentucky
swimmer Riley Gaines react after finishing tied for 5th in the
200 Freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving
Championships on March 18th, 2022
Swimmer Lia Thomas and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines react after
finishing tied for 5th in the 200 Freestyle finals at the NCAA
Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18th, 2022.
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The University of Kentucky swimmer has gained notoriety for
vocalizing her displeasure with transgender females competing in
female biological sports since facing Penn swimmer Lia Thomas —
a transgender female.
Gaines tied with Thomas for fifth place in the 200-meter
freestyle NCAA championships in March and has loudly criticized
Thomas since then.
“Women are brave people, but it shouldn’t take bravery to demand
equal treatment. And if our leaders cannot deliver fairness to
sports and athletics, then we need different leaders. Our next
generation of girls deserves to see themselves as champions –
not “oppressors” – and we all deserve a clear voice in this
debate,” Gaines wrote in an op-ed for The Post.
https://nypost.com/2023/05/27/california-transgender-runners-no-
show-state-track-championships-following-backlash/
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