CAMAS, Wash. – During a recent cross‑country meet, a group of Camas High School girls walked off the starting line rather than compete against a transgender runner on the girls’ team. The walk‑out has become a flashpoint in the statewide campaign over Initiative 638, a November ballot measure that would require K‑12 athletes to compete according to the sex they were assigned at birth.
Local athletes speak out
One of the athletes, Holly Burns, told reporters, “Last Tuesday, me and some other girls decided to walk off to protest the fairness of sports. I stand with those girls. I’m very proud of them.” Burns later addressed a rally supporting Initiative 638, emphasizing the desire for a level playing field.
At the Greater St. Helens League District Meet, Battle Ground High School sophomore Elise Bierer also left the starting line before the girls’ varsity race. Bierer acknowledged the decision could end her season and jeopardize a chance to advance to regionals, but said she felt protesting was more important. “I love running. It’s what I’m good at,” she said. “But I really just decided that it was worth it not running.”
Parents cite fairness and Title IX
Bierer’s mother, Sheona, framed the protest as a matter of competitive fairness, not hostility toward transgender students. “This has everything to do with fairness and the right of women to participate in sports that creates an equal‑opportunity playing field, which is the whole point of Title IX,” she said.
Opposing voices call for inclusion
Supporters of transgender athletes argue the conversation should focus on inclusion and the well‑being of all students. Local resident Karen Wood, who attended a counter‑rally, said teenagers need support as they explore their identities. “When you isolate someone and treat them with intolerance when they’re trying to be themselves, those are things that lead to teen suicide,” Wood said. She added that while she does not have a definitive answer on competitive fairness, she believes the issue deserves a respectful public conversation.
What Initiative 638 would change
Washington’s current policy allows students to participate in sports according to their gender identity. If approved, Initiative 638 would require athletes to compete based on the sex listed on their birth certificate, a change supporters say would protect fairness in girls’ sports.
Opponents argue the measure would discriminate against transgender students and make it harder for them to join school athletics. The debate has placed high‑school athletes at the center of a broader political fight over the future of state sports policy.
Looking ahead
Both Burns and Bierer said they remain uncertain about returning to cross‑country next year if the policy stays unchanged. Bierer’s mother warned her daughter may choose not to compete again if faced with a similar situation.
For voters, the measure will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. Advocacy groups on both sides continue to hold rallies and public forums, urging Washington residents to consider the implications for fairness, safety, privacy, and the rights of all students.
Original reporting: KPTV FOX 12 Portland (news) — read the source article.
