As an increasing number of red states are pushing back against medical interventions for trans kids, including irreversible surgeries that mutilate the bodies of healthy children, so too are many states taking action against the participation of transgender athletes in sports. In Texas, for example, Gov. Greg Abbott is poised to sign the "Save Women's Sports Act," which would require collegiate athletes at public institutions to compete based on biological sex. Texas already has similar restrictions in place for K-12 schools in the state.
But elsewhere in the nation, female athletes are not being given the legal protection they deserve. In California, 18-year-old Adeline Johnson gave a thumbs down at the podium for her fourth-place finish due to transgender athlete "Athena" Ryan claiming second in the varsity girls' 1,600-meter run, kicking her out of the state finals. While media reports claim the gesture was toward Ryan, Johnson's school told the Daily Mail it was a response about her individual performance directed toward her mother and "should not be construed as a statement about her competitors."
Ryan, still a junior, blew by female seniors in the field signed to run at NCAA Division 1 schools this coming fall. pic.twitter.com/wFmkImkq6T
— ICONS (@icons_women) May 21, 2023
Security removed women from the field seen holding signs in support of girls in the sectional meet. Many parents were completely unaware there was a boy competing in girls races. Others, were appreciative that they were there when they themselves felt silenced. @WomenAreReals… pic.twitter.com/Vd4MXN6RDp
— ICONS (@icons_women) May 21, 2023
As our sister site RedState reports, Johnson would have come in last place had he competed among his biological peers.
It turns out, he will not be the only male competing in the state track championships, either.
🏃2nd trans-identifying male, Lorelei Barrett is headed to the @CIFState CA track championships next weekend. Along with male Athena Ryan, he’s also qualified in the “Girls 1600m” race.
— ICONS (@icons_women) May 21, 2023
Barrett had qualified for the girls state cross country championships last fall…… pic.twitter.com/VzK9SkfDRh
The results drew the attention of Bruce "Caitlyn" Jenner, who pushed back on men competing in women's sports.
"As 'somewhat' of a track star myself, and a trans person, THIS IS WRONG!!! HELP ME PUSH BACK!" Jenner, who won a gold in the decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, said in response to the story.
"And FYA trans ppl you are being used by the radical gender ideology cult as political pawns. That's all you are to them," Jenner added.
And FYA trans ppl you are being used by the radical gender ideology cult as political pawns. That’s all you are to them.
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) May 22, 2023
Meanwhile, parents of students who competed against Ryan are too afraid to speak out due to policies against bullying that extend to students and family members, which could affect their child's ability to participate.
"The student athletes' reactions are very tempered and controlled as much as they can because they're not allowed to show any reaction whatsoever to potentially not affirm what is happening," one parent told Fox News Digital. "We've been advised that anything that potentially can come off as bullying is a code of conduct violation. And so by CIF rules [the girls are] unable to speak out about this."