Protest Walkout at Cross-Country Race in Washington State

On Tuesday, a group of about a dozen girls from Camas High School decided to walk out of a cross-country race instead of racing against a transgender runner. This move came as a protest against their school’s decision to allow a boy who had been on the boys’ team to now compete with the girls, and they were quite clear about their feelings.

When the race was set to begin, and the whistle blew, many of the girls chose to leave the course as a statement of their dissatisfaction.

Interestingly, the student who transitioned from the boys’ team was reported to have placed 76th in a boys’ junior varsity race before winning first place in his first race with the girls.

One of the key figures in organizing the walkout was student Holly Burns, whose parents expressed their support for her actions. Kevin Burns, her father, mentioned that they were encouraging of her decisions, allowing her to navigate the emotions surrounding the situation on her own. “Do what you think is best,” he advised her.

He also raised concerns about fairness, stating, “I don’t see how it’s OK to discriminate against my daughter and the daughters of everyone else that is trying to fairly compete.”

Holly’s mother, Sarah, also shared her surprise at the occurrence. “You hear about it, but you just never think it’s going to be on your kid’s small cross-country team,” she noted, reflecting the shock many parents might feel in similar circumstances.

The family faced challenges when trying to express their views, as school officials informed them that they couldn’t display protest signs during the race. Kevin challenged the legality of that restriction but found that the school officials were unsure of their policies surrounding such expressions. He ultimately decided to hold up his sign despite being followed by security.

The school stated that it adheres to Washington State’s education regulations for transgender athletes, which have been in place since 2007. Still, the girls and their families are determined to continue protesting the school’s policies regarding transgender participation in sports.