Alaska’s board of education has voted to ban trans girls from playing on girls’ teams, a decision that was reached in a 7-1 vote. The one vote against the decision was given by the high school student representative on the board, Felix Meyers.
This decision to ban trans girls from playing was made under the false idea that people who were assigned female at birth are inherently weaker than people who were assigned male at birth. Thinking such as this completely disparages the mental and physical work that is put into becoming an athlete. During the meeting, the example given by board member Bob Griffin to back up the twisted logic behind this ban was Lydia Jacoby, the winner of the 202o Olympic gold medal for the 100-meter breaststroke. Griffin stated that, despite all her hard work, Jacoby’s time clocked in at four seconds less than the record of the male competitors.
The blatant undertone of the comparison is openly misogynistic and transphobic, and perhaps a bit racist. People are diverse, so athletes will not always be the “average.” These archaic societal standards for body types and ability have been acknowledged as varying by the CDC and are very dehumanizing for people who do not fit within them. A person’s life, place of birth, and many other factors can determine how tall they will be, how much they will weigh, or how much stamina and endurance they have.
This decision to ban trans girls from playing sports in Alaska is not the only example of such a decision being made in the United States. There have been 22 other cases of states banning trans children from competing with affirming sports teams throughout school districts and some colleges.
The statement given by Anchorage school board president Margo Bellamy and Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt sums up the ridiculousness of the situation.”With all of the current challenges facing Alaska’s public schools, it’s quite perplexing that this topic is a top priority for the Alaska State Board of Education,” the comment says. “Regardless of today’s decision, ASD will continue to provide a safe and welcoming school environment for all students. We will continue to ensure an inclusive, nurturing, and respectful school experience for our diverse community.”
