The controversy surrounding girls' cross-country competition in Clark County began attracting public attention when two Skyview High School athletes, Charlie Garrett and Sierra Retzlaff, protested during a September 15 meet at Camas High School.
The two runners chose not to complete a race that included a transgender athlete from Camas who had previously competed in the boys' division. Their protest was followed on October 13 by a larger walkout involving members of the Camas High School girls' cross-country team.
These events have raised important questions in our community about competitive fairness, opportunities for female athletes, and school officials' responsibility to respond to students' concerns.
Clark County Republican Women (CCRW) stands with the girls of Skyview and Camas in their right to speak openly, express their concerns, and receive a respectful and meaningful response from school authorities.
But this issue reaches beyond competitive athletics.
When a girl of any age expresses discomfort about an interaction involving a male, the adults entrusted with her welfare have a responsibility to listen.
Parents, teachers, coaches, school administrators, and others in positions of authority should take such concerns seriously, investigate the circumstances when appropriate, and consider reasonable accommodations.
Listening does not mean assigning blame. Investigating does not mean presuming misconduct. It means recognizing that a girl's experiences, privacy, safety, and personal boundaries deserve consideration.
No young woman should have to surrender her right to raise concerns simply because those concerns involve a controversial issue. Likewise, every student deserves to be treated with dignity and without harassment.
For generations, girls and women have worked to secure equitable athletic opportunities. The debate over maintaining female-only competitive categories raises fundamental questions about how to protect those opportunities.
CCRW's proposed position is that female-only competitive athletic categories should be based on biological sex, not gender identity. Under this position, male students would not be eligible to compete in designated female-only competitions, while all students would retain opportunities to participate under applicable athletic rules.
Washington voters will consider Initiative IL26-638 in the November 3, 2026, general election. The measure would establish sex-based eligibility requirements for female-only school athletic competitions and require healthcare-provider verification of biological sex. A YES vote on IL26-638 protects biological girls in girls' sports.
Supporters regard these requirements as protections for female athletic competition. Opponents have raised concerns about exclusion, medical privacy, and the consequences for transgender students.
These questions deserve public consideration, as do the concerns expressed by the young women of Skyview and Camas.
The girls have spoken. Their voices deserve to be heard. Their concerns deserve respectful investigation. And the adults responsible for their athletic programs owe them thoughtful, meaningful responses.
Respect begins with listening. Accountability requires action.
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