SALEM, Ore. (KATU) — On Tuesday, the women of the Oregon House and Senate Republican Caucuses sent a letter to Oregon School Activities Association Executive Director Peter Weber urging the OSAA Board of Directors to take immediate action to protect the equal rights of women in high school sports.
The delegation asks the OSAA to only allow biological women to compete in girls’ sports.
“Biological males have a very clear advantage. You have to be blind not to see that,” said District Four Rep. Christine Goodwin.
Goodwin, who is running for a state Senate seat, was one of 12 Republican lawmakers who signed off on a letter, which called for an end to the policy that allows transgender students to participate in sports that align with their gender identity.
The letter comes after a viral video surfaced over the weekend showing the Sherwood Need For Speed Classic in which a runner posted a 25.49-second time in the women’s varsity 200 meters. The second-place runner in the heat crossed the finish line around the 30-second mark.
"For both historical reasons, as well as reasons related to compliance with Title IX, interscholastic athletics and activities have typically been divided by gender, with a few exceptions,” the OSAA wrote in its Gender Identity Participation policy. “Formulating new processes to address concerns about participation regardless of a student's gender identity requires a new approach to eligibility, an approach reflected in these policies.” The OSAA currently stipulates a transgender competitor may notify their school of their gender identity and be “consistently treated as that gender for purposes of eligibility for athletics.”
KATU pressed Goodwin on criticisms of the letter and how some people believe there are bigger issues to focus on in the state of Oregon.
I agree," Goodwin replied. "There's a lot of big issues we need to be concerned about but this is also an issue of great concern and I think we should have had the conversation. I think the legislature should take this seriously.”
On the other side of the issue is LGBTQ advocate Blair Stenvik.
If Rep. Goodwin and other folks who signed on to that letter were really concerned about women's civil rights issues, there are a range of much more pressing issues than a high school athlete who didn't even win her race,” said Stenvik.
KATU brought Goodwin's claim to Stenvik, about trans girls having a biological advantage in girl's sports, and he said, “I think biological differences do exist on a spectrum. Sex isn't even all you know, Black and white, male or female. There is a range and even within you know, different sexes.”
Stenvik said that only letting trans girls participate in boy's teams would make trans kids feel isolated.
KATU reached out to OSSA and they declined the station's request for an interview. However, they said they will be consulting with their counsel and executive board before providing Republican lawmakers a response.
Oregon Democrats issued a response to the Republican's letter on Tuesday afternoon. The statement from the House Democratic Caucus is below:
“These public attacks against the LGBTQ+ community from Republican politicians are predictable, offensive, and dangerous. Oregon student-athletes should not be worried about politicians using their names in an effort to politicize or police gender. Sending a letter to a state agency is one thing but further publicizing and naming an Oregon student to score political points crosses a line and risks harm to students and their families.
Members of the House Democratic Caucus believe in protecting the rights and privacy of anyone playing sports, working, or raising a family in Oregon. We won’t play politics at the expense of jeopardizing rights, privacy, or the health and safety of our kids. We’re going to stay focused on the issues that matter most to Oregonians such as housing affordability, homelessness, mental health and addiction, and funding for a better future for all Oregonians.”
Read the full letter to OSAA below:
"Dear Mr. Weber,
We write to you today as women who have had the honor of making significant achievements in our respective lives and who use those achievements to serve the people of Oregon. We have worked to live up to the examples of the women who came before, and we strive to be an example to the young girls who will be here after us.
It is in this context that we bring to your attention the unfortunate situation that transpired at McDaniel High School in Sherwood this past weekend. Ayden Gallagher, a male student, competed in the Sherwood Need for Speed Classic in the girls’ division, placing top ten in three competitions.
Policy 38, “Gender Identity Participation” (Page 80) of the 2023-2024 OSAA Handbook says that your gender identity rule “promotes harmony and fair competition among member schools”.
Sadly, this policy has precisely the opposite of its stated effect. Instead of promoting harmony, it has sparked outrage. Instead of ensuring fair competition, a biological male has found a place in the female sports record books. Any girls’ title held by a male is not a girls’ title at all.
This policy leads us to conclude that the OSAA and the State of Oregon do not deem girls and girls’ sports worthy of protecting and that the records they set are not meaningful. Additionally, this policy creates opportunities for male students who are unable to compete at the highest levels against their male peers to compete instead in female sports and break records that are rightfully held by girls.
We hope that you can provide a solution to the families seeking answers about why the OSAA doesn’t feel girls’ sports should be a safe space for biological females to compete and succeed.
In the meantime, we are left with no choice but to pursue the following actions:
1. Seek a statutory change via legislation in the 2025 Session to remove all records set by male students allowed to compete in girls’ sports and award those achievements to the biological female student(s) who should have received the record or award. This will include a special report OSAA will be required to issue recognizing these corrected achievements.
2. Encourage parents and girls in Oregon to stand up to your miscarriage of duty by withdrawing from competitions in which male athletes are allowed to participate until such time as the OSAA rescinds its unfair “gender identity” policy.
It brings us significant pain to see girls’ achievements go unrecognized because of your policy. We hope that you will not only join us in finding a solution to this matter, but also see the need to protect girls’ spaces and accomplishments.
Signers included:
Senator Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer)Senator Suzanne Weber (R-Tillamook)Representative Christine Goodwin (R-Canyonville)Representative Anna Scharf (R-Amity)Representative Bobby Levy (R-Echo)Representative Emily McIntire (R-Eagle Point)Representative Kim Wallan (R-Medford)Representative Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville)Representative Jami Cate (R-Lebanon)Representative Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany)Representative Tracy Cramer (R-Gervais)Representative Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville)"
