Transgender track athletes speak out about backlash over high school victory
Two transgender teens who blew out the competition and won a track and field competition have people outraged and saying their bodies gave them an unfair advantage against the other female competitors.
—Students stage die-in to mark Pulse Nightclub shooting anniversary and advocate for gun control—
On June 4, the CIAC held State Open track and field competitions where Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, both transgender, competed in the female division and took top honors. Miller came in first place in the 100-meter dash and set new records. Yearwood secured second place in the 100-meter dash.
Terry Miller of Bulkeley wins the 100m girls dash i. 11.72 (meet record). Andraya Yearwood of Cromwell 2nd, RHAM’s Bridget Lalonde 3rd #cttrack pic.twitter.com/4GmLRyicDI
— GameTimeCT (@GameTimeCT) June 4, 2018
According to the Daily Mail, people have now launched an online petition to force the COAC to change the rules.
“I think it’s unfair to the girls who work really hard to do well and qualify for Open and New Englands,” said sophomore Selina Soule who finished in sixth place.
“These girls, they’re just coming in and beating everyone,” she added. “I have no problem with them wanting to be a girl.”
Bianca Stanescu, who is Soule’s mom, said since there is no transgender consideration when it comes to “math and science and chorus” it isn’t fair for sports.
“Sports are set up for fairness,” she said. “Biologically male and female are different.”
“The great majority is being sacrificed for the minority.”
Two petitions calling for the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference to amend the rules that prohibit gender mixing, have been launched.
There are some people who applaud the transgender teens though.
‘To be honest, I think it’s great they get a chance to compete and as long as they’re happy, I guess, there’s not that much I can do,” said Bridget Lalonde, a student at RHAM High School who finished third.
“The rules are the rules. The only competition is the clock. You can only run as fast as you can,”
Andraya Yearwood shared her feelings about the backlash in an interview last week with the Courant.
“Obviously, I’ve gotten some negative attention [just go on the internet] but I don’t worry about it much,” Andraya Yearwood told the Courant. “I’ve gotten a lot of good attention for who I am, which is really nice; it helps me with my race.”
Her father, Rahsaan Yearwood told the Courant:
“In terms of the fairness aspect, I don’t think about that as a father. I only think about, is my daughter happy, healthy and able to participate in what she wants to do? I don’t care if she wins or loses. I don’t care if she wins and gives the medals back. She got to compete as a girl where she feels she should compete. That’s all that matters to me. …“I think anyone who makes a 15-year-old running in Class M in Connecticut into a bigger story than it needs to be — this is not someone that transitioned as a senior trying to get a scholarship to college,” he said. “This is someone who has been working toward this her whole life. There is a bigger story that has nothing to do with competitive track.”
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