When the Camas High cross-country runner's name was called, Joel Retzlaff yelled, "That's a man!"
asserted
That → call → ?
Retzlaff is the outspoken father of Skyview High cross-country runner Sierra Retzlaff, who has publicly opposed competing against a biological male.
asserted
who → oppose → male
But as Joel made that declaration, nobody walked up to the podium.
asserted
nobody → make → podium
The Camas boy, who switched to the girls' team midseason, was nowhere to be found.
asserted
who → switch → team
Camas coach Matt LeGrand — who's in an impossible position — would not comment on why.
asserted
who → comment → why
But there's a decent chance the runner didn't want to face a crowd who knew that, by finishing seventh in regionals, he prevented an actual girl from advancing to state.
asserted
he → be → state
We won't mention that girl's name here, but she ran for Puyallup High — which finished eighth in the girls' 4A division.
asserted
which → mention → division
The top seven teams go on to state, and if not for the Camas runner's contribution, Puyallup would have advanced.
asserted
Puyallup → go → contribution
That team's coach also wouldn’t comment.
asserted
coach → comment → ?
This is the story that, on Halloween, had almost everybody involved spooked.
asserted
everybody → involve → Halloween
The key word above is "almost," because there were some people at that meet at Chambers Bay who were willing to speak up.
asserted
who → be → Bay
One of them was Carol Brown, a three-time Olympian who won a bronze medal in rowing who can't believe she's on the front lines for an issue she thought was settled a half century ago.
asserted
she → win → issue
"I fought for Title IX to be allowed to be in sports period, and so I've been fighting this battle.
asserted
I → fight → battle
I never thought 50 years later I'd be fighting it again," Brown said.
asserted
Brown → think → it
"And I absolutely believe in rights for everyone to participate in sport, but for it to be fair and safe, it has to be based on sex.
asserted
it → believe → sex
What do you think about this Camas runner displacing another girl?
"It's absolutely unfair," Brown said.
asserted
Brown → think → girl
"The girls put in work, and what I find the hardest to accept is that everyone is saying the girls' voices don't matter, their emotions don't matter, their hard work and once again, like 100 years ago took a second seat to the males."
asserted
emotions → put → males
The Camas runner started the season on the boys' team, where he finished 76th in the season's opening JV meet.
asserted
he → start → meet
After switching to the girls' team, he has won a varsity meet and finished second three times.
asserted
he → switch → meet
In the past two meets — first at districts last week and again at regionals Saturday — he placed just ahead of Skyview runner Charlie Garrett.
asserted
he → place → Garrett
Safe to say Garrett wasn't happy about that.
asserted
Garrett → say → that
"I mean, it's really frustrating.
asserted
it → mean → ?
I was sad after my race because I was less than a second away [from beating the Camas runner]," said Garrett, admitting that beating him was a side goal of hers Saturday.
asserted
beating → beat → hers
"But I PR'd, and I qualified for state, so I shouldn't be sad.
asserted
I → PR'd → state
"
What do you think about him not showing up on the podium?
asserted
him → think → podium
"It shows why he shouldn't be in it," Garrett said.
asserted
Garrett → show → it
"He has a reason not to show up."
asserted
He → have → reason
But plenty more opposing the Camas runner's participation showed up Saturday.
asserted
more → oppose → participation
One of them was Jasmin Faulk, the executive director of Women's Liberation Front (WOLF) — who lost her job at a community college due to a blog post about how "biology still matters."
asserted
biology → lose → post
"The issue is really about the safety and the fairness for women and girls," Faulk said.
asserted
Faulk → say → women
"That's why we're here, that's why WOLF has chosen to participate and be vocal on this.
asserted
WOLF → choose → this
We have fought for women's rights on all levels and in all areas and sports is just another one that is fairly agreed upon as a general view.
asserted
that → fight → view
This one's an easy one for us to stand by.
asserted
us → stand → ?
"
I mentioned to her that this doesn’t really feel like a right/left issue — that most Democrats support the separation of biological males and females in sports.
asserted
Democrats → mention → sports
"It's unfortunate, though, because the Democrats are not voicing that.
asserted
Democrats → voice → that
I think that's where the frustration is," Faulk said.
asserted
Faulk → think → ?
"It's a lot easier for the right to take a stand on this one because they've kind of been consistent on this issue for a long time, but the Democrats, I think, have been quieted into it, and the fearmongering in the movement has been the hardest for a lot of people."
asserted
fearmongering → take → people
Despite this being an 80-20 issue, most people don't want their name attached to their opinions on this matter.
asserted
name → want → matter
One male cross-country runner came over to the crowd wearing XX-XY Athletics gear and said, "I like your shirts" — but said he couldn't accept a "save girls' sports" bracelet or comment on the subject.
asserted
he → come → subject
A female cross-country runner took a picture with that same crowd and said, "You can believe you are something, but you're affecting other people who are actually that and have worked really, really hard for this, and you're taking away a spot from a girl who trained all season."
asserted
who → take → girl
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
