Eugene residents react to Transgender Sports Policy Controversy
SALEM, Ore. – Some Republicans in the Oregon Legislature are calling for immediate action in high school sports after a transgender student competed in a girls' track meet and finished second in two races and seventh in a third.
Some Oregon Republicans said the Oregon School Activities Association should only allow biological women to compete in women’s sports. 12 Republican women signed a letter that was sent to the executive director of the OSAA, Peter Weber. The legislators who signed the letter include Jamie Cate from Lebanon and Shelly Boshart Davis from Albany.
The legislators want the OSAA board to take immediate action to protect equal rights of women after what they call an “unfortunate situation” where a 10th-grade transgender student at McDaniel High School competed in the Sherwood Need for Speed Classic in the girl’s division. The athlete came in second place in the 200- and 400-meter races and 7th in the 100-meter relay.
Republican legislators said “Policy 38” in the OSAA handbook, a passage which deals with gender identity participation, claims the gender identity rule “promotes harmony and fair competition among member schools.” However, the letter said that instead of promoting harmony, the policy has sparked outrage and allowed a transgender girl to find a place in female sports record books. Republican lawmakers said the OSAA’s policy leads them to believe the OSAA doesn’t deem girls’ sports worthy of protecting, and it creates opportunities for boys who can’t compete at the highest levels against their male peers to compete instead in female sports.
The Republican lawmakers said they want the OSAA to provide a solution for families who want answers. They said they will seek a statutory change in the 2025 session to remove all records set by biological male students allowed to compete in girls’ sports, and award those achievements to the biological female students they believe should have won. Legislators also said they’re going to encourage parents and girls to take a stand by withdrawing from competitions where transgender athletes are allowed to participate.
The OSAA confirmed that they had received the letter, and a response is forthcoming.
Community members like Mary Hann in Eugene said it's a matter of balancing inclusiveness with fairness.
She said, "I don't think it's fair to exclude anyone, on the other hand is it fair for someone to be running who has maybe the testosterone levels so far above the other female athletes? I don't know if that make sense either."
Hann is a resident of Eugene, a parent, and a former High School athlete. When it comes to transgender athletes, Hann stressed the importance of allowing them to be themselves -- but also has questions regarding their testosterone levels. Similar questions are also being asked by high school students such as Bailey Myles.
She said, "On first thought it doesn't really seem fair, it's just -- it's just not biologically fair I feel like, but it's kind of hard to because you got to be supportive -- how are you supportive but fair at the same time"
Mary Hann said back when she was competing in the 1990s, the issue never came up. However, she now feels compassion and understanding is needed.
She said, "This is really new to people and we have to figure out how we can all move forward comfortably on it."
She also doesn't feel that women's sports are in danger, and there are bigger concerns than transgender athletes.
She said, "That would be more of a concern to me, are their sports programs getting enough funding compared to the men's?"
Despite differing opinions on the issue of transgender sports, people did have one thing in common: politicians shouldn't get involved.
Myles said, "It will probably happen regardless but I feel like it's just between like the school and what the students and staff think about it."
She doesn't feel legislative action needs to be taken, and thinks Republican lawmakers getting involved is a slippery slope.
She said, "I feel like they won, so it's like -- they should get the award but at the same time, was it fair in the first place?"
The group of lawmakers also advised girls to withdraw from competitions if they had to compete against biological males. Myles was more open to this suggestion.
She said, "I think that's fair. I think you should be able to have a choice against who you compete against, and it should be against the people of the same biological sex."
Hann believes one way to find middle ground might be getting doctors more involved in individual cases.
She said, "Whoever's working with this person, as their transitioning, maybe they can just speak up a little, say yes she does have the right hormone levels, you know."
Another suggestion was to make a third league altogether. Meaning boys, girls, and transgender athletes could all compete against one another.
Hann said, "A co-ed league, so everybody can be involved and everybody knows what they're getting into. They're just have to be a way for everyone to be themselves and be able to compete, I think."
Something all sides can agree on is that something needs to change. Students like Bailey Myles wonders what the future of sports will look like if the status quo is kept.
She said, "I mean, it's sort of out, as like girls' sports, boys' sports, so if those things are getting mixed up supposedly a little bit, what rules are going to go next, what rules are going to be created and what are going to be thrown out the way and stuff like that."
