With every word, these leaders shed another shred of dignity.
asserted
leaders → shed → dignity
The latest to shrink was Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal.
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latest → shrink → Instruction
Appearing on the Seattle-based radio show "Jake and Spike," the head of Washington's public school system made some remarks about the boys-in-girls-sports debate that seemed outlandish by even a politician's standards.
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that → appear → standards
The issue at hand was Initiative 638, a Nov. 3 ballot measure in Washington that, if passed, would keep biological males out of K-12 sports.
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that → pass → sports
Host Jake Skorheim brought up the situation in southern Washington, where members of the Camas High girls cross country team walked off the start line Tuesday in protest of having to run in the same event as a boy.
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members → bring → boy
Answered Reykdal: "Let's face it, this is happening across the country, where we've empowered young people to make important decisions.
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we → answer → decisions
And 99% of the time, they're good friends and colleagues, and they respect their transgender colleagues.
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they → respect → colleagues
But some don't agree with it, and that's their right to express that."
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that → agree → that
This doesn't sound too objectionable on its face, but there did seem to be a subtle dig at the protesters.
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This → sound → protesters
Reykdal said that 99% of young athletes are "good friends and colleagues" and that they "respect their transgender colleagues."
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they → say → colleagues
It's almost as though he's implying the 1% are disrespectful.
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% → imply → ?
Surely there are some girls out there who are OK with competing against biological boys.
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who → be → boys
The fact that protesters have received backlash from various teammates proves as much.
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protesters → receive → much
But just because other athletes aren't going public with their disapproval doesn't mean they like it.
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they → go → it
They just don't want the smoke that comes with being outspoken.
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that → want → smoke
Second — choosing not to compete against a trans athlete does not make one disrespectful toward the trans community.
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one → choose → community
It is simply acknowledging an unmistakable biological advantage and highlighting the unfairness.
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It → acknowledge → unfairness
Reykdal continued: "The much larger issue here is: Can we accommodate 10, 12, 15 kids a year and make them feel included?
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them → continue → kids
Or do we have to go through an initiative process where every single girl has to prove, through one of three methods, that she's a girl in order to participate?"
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she → have → methods
has been co-opted to vilify anyone who opposes males in female sports.
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who → co → sports
The truth is that sports at most levels are designed to be exclusive.
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sports → design → levels
Only a certain number of athletes make the team, or get to start, or reach the final heat, or get a scholarship.
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number → make → scholarship
And those "10, 12 or 15 kids" often have great success.
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kids → have → success
Last year, high school trans athletes won girls' state track-and-field championships in Washington, Oregon and California.
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athletes → win → Washington
And at Camas, a biological male went from 76th in a boys JV race to first in a varsity girls meet.
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male → go → meet
"I hear what you're saying, but specifically, I want to ask about this case in Camas.
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I → hear → Camas
They're racing against somebody who, earlier in the year, was 76th running for the boys cross-country team, who placed second here.
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who → race → team
Now, those girls had to forfeit because they had no chance of winning."
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they → have → chance
Answered Reykdal: "Well, I raised two kids, and one of them was a daughter in sports.
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one → answer → sports
And my take is, you have a choice to make.
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you → have → choice
You're going to compete and do the best you can and embrace your colleagues, or you're going to walk off and make a statement.
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you → go → statement
I don't want to put words in Reykdal's mouth, but it almost sounds like he's telling these girls to simply compete, do their best and accept the circumstances — regardless of whether those circumstances are fair.
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circumstances → want → circumstances
But would he say something similar about athletes competing against people on steroids?
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he → say → steroids
That they should just embrace their "colleagues."
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they → embrace → colleagues
"If your daughter was running against a boy—an athlete who raced as a boy and was 76th, and then had to race against that same athlete on your team—does that seem like a fair situation to you?" asked Skorheim.
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Skorheim → run → you
Answered Reykdal: "I don't see it that way, Jake.
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it → answer → ?
I just don't.
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I → do → ?
These are young, developing people whose brains aren't going to fully develop until they're 25.
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they → develop → ?
Sorry, kids, we don't owe you fairness because your brains aren't fully developed.
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brains → owe → fairness
And while we're at it, we can shortchange college athletes because, unless they're at BYU, they're all under 25 as well.
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they → shortchange → 25
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
