In a recent turn of events at the CIF-North Coast Section Meet of Champions, a transgender athlete named Athena Ryan garnered attention by securing a second-place finish in the varsity girls’ 1,600-meter run finals. The outcome has sparked a heated debate surrounding transgender inclusion in high school sports, with critics expressing concerns over the fairness of competition and the protection of female sports.
Athena Ryan, a junior representing Sonoma Academy, clocked a time of 4:55.91. Reflecting on his accomplishment, Ryan expressed surprise at his significant improvement over the past few weeks and shared his excitement for the upcoming California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Track & Field Championships.
However, amidst the celebration, a group of women at the meet displayed a banner that read, “Protect Female Sports,” provoking further discussion about the participation of transgender athletes in gender-segregated sports. A video captured the heated exchange between the banner-holding women and another attendee who found their message offensive. Security personnel intervened, attempting to address the situation by removing the peaceful banner holding women rather than the profanity-filled verbal abuser.
One women found our “Protect Female Sports” banner disgusting and offensive. Note the secretive thank you’s and a high-five by a female athlete at the end. @SF_TERF_CENTRAL @XxtraEstroGenny @icons_women #SaveWomensSports pic.twitter.com/4SHwXYxJI6
— WomenAreReal (@WomenAreReals) May 21, 2023
According to Fox News,
One of the parents of the runners who lost to Ryan, whose name is being withheld due to fears of retaliation and bullying, blasted the competition for allowing a biological male to compete against the girls.
“I’m absolutely opposed to it. There’s no way this should be allowed,” the parent said. “Ryan was in like fifth place with 100 to go, and all of a sudden he… blew past the girls.”
“How do you not understand that that’s unfair?” the parent said.
“I 100% percent empathize with the need to belong and the desire to compete. [However,] you have to understand how hard these girls work to do this.”
“You’re cheating [the sport], like the narcissism of this whole thing,” the parent said about CIF’s policies.
“The student athletes’ reactions are very tempered and controlled as much as they can because they’re not allowed to show any reaction whatsoever to potentially not affirm what is happening,” the parent said. “We’ve been advised that anything that potentially can come off as bullying is a code of conduct violation. And so by CIF rules [the girls are] unable to speak out about this.”
The controversy surrounding Ryan’s participation highlights the ongoing conversation surrounding gender identity and inclusivity in high school sports. The CIF, responsible for overseeing high school athletics in California, has developed a “Gender Diverse Youth Sports Inclusivity Toolkit” to provide guidance in such matters. The toolkit includes guidelines for “Gender Identity Participation,” which have been in place since 2013.
According to the CIF’s toolkit, all students, regardless of their gender identity, should have equal opportunities to participate in athletics and activities. Students are encouraged to compete in programs aligned with their gender identity or the gender they consistently express. Eligibility determinations are made through collaborative efforts between school personnel and the student-athlete, with the granted eligibility being valid for the duration of the student’s participation, not requiring renewal each sports season or school year.
The presence of transgender athletes in gender-segregated sports has been a topic of controversy worldwide, as concerns arise over potential advantages or disadvantages they may have in competition. While some argue that transgender athletes, like Athena Ryan, should be allowed to participate based on their affirmed gender identity, others express concerns about fairness and maintaining the integrity of female sports.
🏃Trans-identifying male, Athena Ryan (Jr) took 2nd today in the “Girls 1600m” at a CA State Championship qualifier meet in Dublin, CA.
Ryan beamed while 4th place senior, Adeline Johnson gave a thumb down after losing the chance to advance to the State Championships by 1 spot. pic.twitter.com/iY2InxvhJt
— ICONS (@icons_women) May 21, 2023
