A transgender high school runner in Washington state, Veronica Garcia, competed in and won the women’s 400-meter dash on Saturday, May 25. Garcia won the race and became the state champion by just one second, finishing the 400-meter spring in 55.75 seconds, just outdoing the second-place finisher’s time of 56.75.
Unlike in some other races, the girls who came in second and third place did appear to participate in the post-race podium ceremony on Saturday despite not having come in first in what some online allege was an unfair race.
However, Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction provides, “Public schools must allow all students to participate in physical education and athletics that correspond to their gender identity. Eligibility for interscholastic athletics is determined by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA).”
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, in turn, allows every Washington athlete to compete in sports programs and competitions that are “consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed.”
Specifically, the WIAA’s “Gender Diverse Inclusivity Toolkit” provides, “All students should have the opportunity to participate in WIAA athletics and/or activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity. Currently, most athletic programs are offered separately for boys and girls as outlined in Appendix 1. Athletes will participate in programs consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed. School personnel responsible for student eligibility will work collaboratively with the student-athlete to determine eligibility. Once the student has been granted eligibility to participate in the sport consistent with their gender identity, the eligibility is granted for the duration of the student’s participation and does not need to be renewed every sports season or school year.”
It also says, “The WIAA encourages participation for all students regardless of their gender identity or expression. Further, most local, state and federal rules and regulations require schools to provide transgender and other gender-diverse student-athletes with equal opportunities to participate in athletics. The purpose of this policy is to offer clarity with respect to the participation of trans and gender-diverse student-athletes. Additionally, this policy encourages a culture in which student-athletes can compete in a safe and supportive environment, free of discrimination.”
Additionally, the WIAA’s locker room policy, also included in that “toolkit,” provides, “Transgender athletes, as a general rule, will opt for either the boys’ room (for trans boys) or the girls’ room (for trans girls). Nonbinary-identified and other gender diverse youth are also in the position of selecting the specific gender-separated facility that works best for them. There are different considerations that may be present that will influence any student’s choice. Safety and privacy needs top the list. Some athletes may request an all-gender facility, some may use a particular gender separated room but request a slightly different changing schedule to accommodate their desire for greater privacy. Some may seek a private changing area within a particular locker room. These requests can easily be accommodated.”
Watch the end of the 400 meter race here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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