Five middle school girls from West Virginia boycott track meet over transgender athlete participation

Five middle school girls refused to race against a trans-identifying male player at a West Virginia track and field meet on Thursday.

The five girls, who play for Liberty High School, which hosted the meet, refused to participate in the “shot put” event, where players throw a heavy ball as far as they can, Outkick reported.

One by one, the five girls stepped into the starting area and then stepped out, refusing to compete, video of the competition that was shared to social media shows.

The girls reportedly did the same for the discus throwing event.

🚨🚨FIVE middle school female athletes in West Virginia refuse to throw shot put against male, Becky Pepper-Jackson.

This comes just 2 days after the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the WV law that says you must compete in the category that matches your sex.

It’s a… pic.twitter.com/RzMgh4jVRU

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 19, 2024

The trans-identifying 13-year-old boy reportedly competes in both shot put and discus throwing. He plays on the girls track and field team at Bridgeport Middle School in Bridgeport.

One of the girls who stepped out said that the trans-identifying boy won the championship shot put event.

A total of seven schools competed at Thursday’s competition, the Harrison County Middle School Championships.

The 13-year-old trans-identifying boy at the girls’ track meet is at the center of a federal case dealing with biological males in girls sports.

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On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that West Virginia’s law barring trans-identifying boys from competing on girls’ teams cannot be enforced against this particular boy.

“The defendants cannot expect that B.P.J. will countermand her social transition, her medical treatment, and all the work she has done with her schools, teachers, and coaches for nearly half her life by introducing herself to teammates, coaches, and even opponents as a boy,” wrote Judge Toby Heytens.

The ruling only applies to this particular 13-year-old boy, who has been on puberty blockers since third grade.

The video of the girls stepping out of the competition was shared by former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, who criticized the adults who allowed the trans-identifying boy to compete against girls. Gaines previously swam against Lia Thomas, a biological male, and since then has been an outspoken advocate for girls’ sports.

“It’s a sad day when 13-14yr old girls have to be the adults in the room, but I couldn’t be more inspired by and proud of these girls,” Gaines posted on X.

“Enough is enough. The tide is turning!” she added.

In recent years, women and girls across the country have raised objections to competing against and alongside biological males. Nevertheless, many schools and sports organizations still allow trans-identifying males to compete on the opposite sex’s teams.

Last month, a Massachusetts private school stood by its decision to let a trans-identifying male play on the girls’ basketball team after three opposing players said they got hurt.

However, there is some momentum against combining girls and trans-identifying males in sport.

Earlier this month, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which governs sports at more than 240 small colleges, announced a new policy on Monday banning trans-identifying male athletes from playing on women’s teams.