The sign seemed innocuous enough.
asserted
sign → seem → ?
So did the man holding it.
asserted
man → do → it
But a passing jogger apparently saw things differently.
asserted
jogger → pass → things
Outside a district cross country meet in which a biological male was competing against girls, Steve Lynch held a sign that read: "Coached X-C & Track for 24 years.
asserted
that → compete → years
If you have questions about the differences between Girls & Boys...answers given here FREE of charge!"
asserted
you → have → charge
But as Lynch began explaining those differences, the jogger shouted: "Jesus loves a firing squad!
asserted
Jesus → begin → squad
Lynch didn't even flinch.
asserted
Lynch → flinch → ?
In fact, he smiled.
asserted
he → smile → fact
"Oftentimes I have to deal with that," he said.
asserted
he → have → that
Lynch represents courage on this issue, which is something many adults lack.
asserted
adults → represent → issue
Over the past few weeks, it's been mostly students, not grown-ups, who have led the opposition to a Camas High cross country runner competing against girls after starting the season on the boys team.
asserted
who → lead → team
But a rally outside Wednesday's meet — where the boy finished second among a field of 25 to help lead Camas to the girls district championship — showed that the adults are catching up in the bravery department.
asserted
adults → finish → department
At the heart of the rally was Initiative 638 — a Nov. 3 ballot measure in Washington state that would enforce such separation in K-12 athletics.
asserted
that → enforce → athletics
People such as Sarah Burns, the mother of a Camas runner who walked off the start line in protest last week, never imagined herself playing the role of activist when the cross country season began.
asserted
season → walk → activist
But now she finds herself at the center of one of the most contentious debates in Washington state.
asserted
herself → find → state
"I was just a mom going to watch her daughter, and then we found out what was happening, and I couldn't not say something," said Burns, wearing an XX-XY Athletics shirt.
asserted
Burns → go → shirt
"These are teenage girls that should be able to be teenage girls and run and compete in their sport and not have their achievements taken from them."
asserted
achievements → run → them
Burns was not the only Camas parent willing to speak out on Wednesday.
asserted
Burns → speak → Wednesday
Also in attendance was Sarah Babb, whose daughter Madeline walked off the start line last week as well.
asserted
daughter → walk → line
Like Burns' daughter, Holly, Madeline had no idea her actions would prompt such widespread media attention.
asserted
actions → have → attention
But as reporters from across the nation showed up to cover Wednesday's rally and meet, Sarah was no longer feeling quite so isolated.
asserted
Sarah → show → rally
"As a mom who comes to these races all season long, it feels very alone as I stand there and go, 'This is awful,'" Babb said.
asserted
Babb → come → races
"So it was great to see such support last week, and this is wild this week.
asserted
this → see → support
It's hard to be the quiet majority, to feel like we're being bullied into silence.
asserted
we → feel → silence
I think a lot of people feel that way.
asserted
lot → think → people
I know it's scary.
asserted
it → know → ?
Over the past couple weeks that I've been covering this story, most parents have been reluctant to speak — even anonymously.
asserted
parents → cover → story
Many have expressed fear of losing their jobs, and one even said, "I don't want my house burned down."
asserted
house → express → jobs
It's easy to catastrophize, especially when you see how vicious opponents of the Protect Women's Sports crowd can be.
asserted
opponents → catastrophize → crowd
There was the Golden State Valkyries fan who told an XX-XY shirt-wearer to "f---ing kill yourself" at a WNBA Finals game last week.
asserted
who → be → game
There was the Seattle Storm co-owner telling a girl with the same shirt that she's "f---ing insane" in July, bringing that girl to tears.
asserted
she → be → tears
Surely one can see why parents would want to sit this issue out, right?
asserted
parents → see → issue
"I don't have a lot of patience for adults who are willing to let the girls take the hits," Sousa said.
asserted
Sousa → have → hits
"If these girls are willing to stand up to their peers, I think adults can stand up to theirs.
asserted
adults → stand → theirs
And if they can't do it in public, at least they can do it at the ballot."
There were some people at Wednesday's rally very much against I-638.
asserted
they → do → I-638
One was a woman named Stephanie, who didn't want her last name used but was cordial with me and my photographer.
asserted
name → name → me
She said the measure would require invasive genital exams to prove one's sex, which is not true.
asserted
which → say → sex
When I mentioned that there were other options such as cheek swabs, she argued that that would be too expensive and that there weren't enough trans athletes for such testing to be worthwhile.
asserted
testing → mention → swabs
When I mentioned all the female athletes speaking out against having to compete against biological males as a matter of fairness, she offered the following:
"Fairness is reasonable, and I do think there should be rules.
asserted
I → mention → following
Even in the Olympics, each sport can set up certain rules.
asserted
sport → set → rules
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
