Washington High School Girls Criticize Male Athlete in Track Competition: "Don't Think This Is Right or Fair"
Charlie Gard and Sierra Retzlaff appeared on Fox & Friends, Safir Arjan, to discuss why they object to a male athlete competing in women's cross country.
High school runners protest biological male athlete competing on girls' team
Charlie Garrett and Sierra Retzlaff were among the Washington high school girls who dropped out of cross country on Tuesday, refusing to compete with a male athlete who started the season on the boys' team.
Instead of getting out of line at gunpoint, Garrett, Retzlaff and a dozen other girls walked a few meters and then left the track, as the jock took off.
About a dozen girls pulled out of a cross country meet in Washington on Tuesday after refusing to compete with a male athlete who had started the season on the boys' team. (Amy Souza)
In addition to the walk, Garrett and Retzlaff used body paint to write "Keep Women in Women's Sports" on their arms and legs.
The male runner took first on Sept. 29 after placing 76th in the boys' junior varsity race on Sept. 5.
Washington girls meet to protest male athlete, parents reveal how they came up with it
Garrett and Retzlaff both attend Skyview High, while the male runner attends Camas. During Tuesday's race, some members of the men's running team joined the protest and refused to run.
"I think it's amazing what they've done and I think it's really brave and brave," Garrett said. "Especially because they're running with this guy and it's one of their teammates. So, I really admire those Camas girls, I couldn't be more proud of them. Them."
Retzlaff's parents brought signs in support of their daughter, but her father was excluded from the event. The athletic director reportedly said the signs were inappropriate. Although signs were not allowed, Retzlaff appreciated the support from his parents.
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"Obviously, it doesn't feel like you're the only one doing something, and it's nice to have people who are with me all the time," Retzlaff says.
Garrett said the community at large supported their decision to protest, even if their team was a little shocked at first.
The Camas school district said it follows Washington Interscholastic Activities Association eligibility rules and Washington state law, but an upcoming vote could change that policy.
(L to R) Female athletes Frances Ostad, Billie Anderson, Sadie Sullivan, Kendall Kutzmacher and Alana Smith stand behind podcast host and emcee Brandi Kruse at a rally advocating for equity in girls' sports in Vancouver, Washington. (Derk Shock for OutKick)
On Nov. 3, Washington voters will vote on Initiative 638, which would bar students who are biologically defined as boys from participating in certain girls-only interscholastic sports. The initiative requires students to provide biological gender verification from a health care provider to participate in those contests.
However, even if the initiative is approved, it will not work in time for Garrett, Ratzlaff and the other protesting girls. The Washington State Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Nov. 7, and the measure will take effect 30 days after the election.
OutKick's Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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