Veronica Garcia, a transgender student-athlete at a Washington high school, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of “sportsmanship” displayed after Garcia’s victory in the girls’ 400-meter race at the state championship.
Representing East Valley High School, Garcia completed the race in 55.75 seconds, surpassing the second-place finisher’s time of 56.75 seconds, as reported by the track scoreboard of the Pacific Northwest Track and Field Officials.
Nevertheless, Garcia expressed to The Spokesman-Review that the absence of congratulations from fellow competitors at the event “somewhat hurt.”
“I guess maybe I expected sportsmanship because I was cheering the rest of them on when they were called. So I guess I expected to get that reciprocated,” Garcia told the paper. “But I didn’t get that. I’m just a teenager. I wish people would remember that.”
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) permits transgender athletes to participate in competitions based on the gender they identify with.
“The WIAA encourages participation for all students regardless of their gender identity or expression,” the WIAA handbook says. “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.”
High school athletes in the state are not mandated to undergo hormone therapy or hormone blocks in order to participate in sports. Garcia did not mention using hormone blocks in the interview with the newspaper.
According to Sean Bessette, a representative from the WIAA, the organization received several complaints following Garcia’s win.
“The WIAA considers numerous personal, political, and religious beliefs of communities that join the Association,” Bessette told the outlet. “Many of these beliefs do not align, resulting in a conflict among the diverse groups the Association serves. For this reason, the WIAA Executive Board has been advised to follow state and federal law.”
Garcia is among the transgender girls who have competed against biological girls in the Pacific Northwest and succeeded in winning races.
Aayden Gallagher also faced criticism after securing a girls’ state championship victory in Oregon.
