SPOKANE, Wash. — The Mead School District passed a resolution on Monday night asking the WIAA to reconsider its policies regarding transgender athletes participating in girls’ sports.
The WIAA policy has been in place for years and states “all students should have the opportunity to participate in WIAA athletics and/or activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity.”
The WIAA is the governing body for high school sports in Washington and said the policy is based on state and federal law.
Monday night’s school board meeting discussed a resolution about the “inherent biological and physiological differences” that put male students “at an advantage for physical performance in athletic competitions.”
“The Mead School District does not support biological male athletes participating in biological female competition categories,” the resolution reads.
It also states that the WIAA policy “does not provide a safe environment nor does it provide fair opportunities for female athletes in athletic competitions.”
Monday night’s meeting drew many Mead School District parents who voiced their support for the resolution.
“Our daughters and sisters should have a reasonable and logical explanation that they are competing with and or against, traveling with, sharing hotel rooms with, and using the same restrooms as people with their same gender,” said one parent during public comment.
Another parent added, “It’s about fairness and safety. That’s what’s leading this conversation. It’s not about anti-trans. It’s not about that at all.”
The vote passed unanimously with Board Member Alan Nolan saying, “Be it further resolved that the Mead School District does not support biological male athletes participating in biological female competition categories.”
Board Member Brieanne Gray also added a statement after the vote.
“As a district, and therefore a member and funder of WIAA, we have an obligation and a duty to protect and support all of our students. This annual process allows us gives us an opportunity to address the unfair and unsafe rules that separate athletic competition categories based on sex,” she said. “It’s quite simple. Rules like the WIAA’s take fair play competition away from our female athletes, and when we take away fair play, we take away a desire for females to even compete.”
Mead joins Eastmont and Lynden School Districts in asking the WIAA to reexamine its policies on transgender athletes.
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