Washington State's public leadership superintendent Chris Lakedal spoke in Thursday's speech in defense of transgender athletes in women's sports, arguing that it was “inaccurate” to say they only have two genders.
“Biologically, it's very inaccurate to say that there are only boys and only girls,” Lakedal said.
“There's a continuum. There's a science about it. I have an intersex-born child. I have a child whose hormones and chromosomes do not match my birth gender.”
“That's not the argument we have today. We just want to remind you of our civil rights obligations. We see that our state laws can clearly identify and participate based on the gender they identify. We support that law.”
Lakedal served three terms as a Democrat in the Washington House of Representatives in District 22.
While criticizing President Donald Trump's recent executive order, the school has banned trans athletes from allowing them to compete in women's sports, but Lakedall talks about how many trans athletes there are in his state cited statistics.
“Of the approximately 5 million children participating in Washington's interstatistical athletics and activities, about 5-10 young people have identified as trans who are participating in those activities.” said Lakedal.
“If we can't meet the needs of five or ten people — whether all students have privacy access and opportunities for privacy, that's what our laws and regulations say — what we do If you can't, who are we?”
Lakedal claimed that Trump has not made the president the power to ban trans-athletes in women's sports, but he has allowed the US Congress to do so.
Protection of women and girls in the sports law is a legislation in Congress that implements similar requirements to Trump's orders, and has already been passed in the House.
He has not voted in the Senate yet.
“Until Congress changes the law or the state legislature changes the law, we will be following the current laws of this state and the current civil rights framework.
High school athletes in Washington are permitted to compete on the basis of gender identity rather than biological sex.
The Washington Scholastic Activities Association (WIAA) policy states that each athlete will participate in a program that “matches gender identity or the most consistently expressed gender” with no medical or legal requirements .
A bill has been introduced that prohibits transgender girls from participating in sports for girls and women, but has not passed.
However, the issue was so concerned with residents that in December the WIAA announced a proposal to create another open division for trans athletes to compete.
“To maintain fair and fair competition, girls' sports and girls' participation in the sports sector is restricted to students assigned women at birth. The purpose of this policy is to: Trans divers and gender divers “It is to provide clarity regarding student-athletes' participation. Furthermore, this policy encourages a culture where student-athletes can compete in a safe, supportive environment without discrimination,” the proposal states.
The proposal voted to send a message to the WIAA on the issue weeks after discussions at the school board meeting, following a discussion at the school board meeting. .
The resolution “supporting fairness and safety in women's sports” claims that the entire board consists of female members who competed in athletics or have daughters competing in athletics.
One of the women, an unidentified current cross-country runner, shared her experiences at the hearing.
“When I ran cross country for Greenacres Middle School, I was biologically male, but the boys identified as female competed on the girls' team,” she said. ”
I respect everyone's right to participate in sports, but the situation has raised questions about the fairness of people with physical advantages associated with male biology. ”
In May, a trans athlete competed in the Women's Cross Country Championship and won.
The athlete won the 400-meter heat race in the women's division in 55.59 seconds.
The runner in second place finished in 58.83 seconds.
In the final, the Transathlete won with a time of 55.75 seconds.
Civil Rights this week A complaint has been filed On behalf of a Washington state teenage girl, along with the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Office, she was allegedly punished for refusing to play a basketball game with a trans athlete.
The complaint alleges that the Washington Tanwater School District is investigating 15-year-old Francis Stoud for “mistakes” the other party and violating the district's policies against bullying and harassment.
According to the documents, prior to the game, Staudt asked the school's principal and athletic director if the player was a biological male.
The administrator has since said they confirmed that the player was notified that he was transgender, but pleaded to remove the player.
Staudt removed himself from the game.
President Trump's Department of Education has already launched a Title IX investigation into state high school athletic conferences in California, Minnesota and Maine, as he refused to comply with his executive order.
