Last week, when I attended cross country practice, my teammate, a top 30 Class A girls runner, handed me a letter addressed to her as a fellow student-athlete.
Curious as to what it was, she carefully opened it to find a letter asking her to buy a “save girls sports” T-shirt. Additionally, in the letter, she labeled Maine runner Soren Stark-Chessa as “a boy who thinks he’s a girl,” and that her participation in women’s cross country was “selfish and wrong.” “There is,” he explained.
I write this as a cisgender woman, and I want to make this clear to those who value my perspective. I have no connection to Soren other than the fact that I am also a women’s cross country runner in Maine. I do not pretend to be completely knowledgeable about the trans community or the participation of trans people in sports. But I’ve had strong opinions on this issue for many years.
In the spring of 2021, I testified before the Maine Judiciary Committee against LD 926 and LD 1401, bills that seek to prevent transgender girls from participating in youth sports. As an eighth grader, my feelings on the subject were clear and honest. Transgender girls have every right to participate in youth sports.
Since then, this debate has become even more heated and meaningful, as trans women of all athletic levels have gained attention for their participation in women’s sports, often with surprising accomplishments.
Although my opinion is not as black and white as it was two and a half years ago, I still believe (now that I have more personal experience with this issue) that there is a space for transgender women in sports, especially at the youth level. believe. And the men.
First and foremost, cross-country running is an individual sport.
If someone asked me how good I was at running, I wouldn’t tell them that I once placed fifth in a meet with only 20 runners. Locations may vary from race to race, so they are not an accurate representation of me as an athlete. For example, in 2022, the winner of the Class A Maine Girls Cross Country Championship ran a time of 19:04. Her time of 19:04 will place her 49th at the 2022 Division 1 (Class A equivalent) California Women’s Cross Country Championships. Once again, the No. 1 Class A girl in Maine will be the 49th fastest runner in California, a difference of 48 places.
This is not to diminish the incredible accomplishments of Maine’s best runners. However, it turns out that the ranking is an arbitrary number that varies by course, state, and race.
I’m not trying to invalidate the excitement and fulfillment of a 1st or even 10th place medal as a reward for hard work and dedication, but I’m not trying to invalidate the excitement and fulfillment of a 1st or even 10th place medal as a reward for hard work and dedication, but I’m not saying that allowing Soren Starkchessa to run will help other women. I would like to say that the achievements of the people who have achieved this will not disappear. athlete.
A runner’s speed and success is primarily determined by their time, which Soren and other transgender athletes have no control over and therefore cannot take away from them.
Contrary to your opinion on the matter, Soren is a child and his most serious “crime” is running a race. Instead of not being able to participate in the same competitions as other high school runners, she has been booed, laughed at, and taunted, and now appears to be the face of an anti-trans campaign launched by adults.
If you ask any runner, I’m sure they’ll tell you that one of the best aspects of cross country is the community. Every time our kids are yelled at for being comfortable in their own skin, we diminish that aspect. There are hundreds of issues that can be categorized as women’s issues. Cross-country races are not included.
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