Caitlyn Jenner: They have to change rules on transgender athletes in women's sports
Fox News contributor Caitlyn Jenner on a report that a Seattle High School biological male is now dominating in the female division
Olympic legend Caitlyn Jenner lambasted the "woke state of Washington" on Monday for instituting policies that allow a biologically male student to dominate female track competitors, despite lagging behind in 72nd place against men before joining the all-female team.
"We have to keep it fair," Jenner, a Fox News contributor, said on "America Reports." "This issue is not going to go away, but I really feel the state of Washington has to make it a little bit tougher. They cannot just identify [as transgender] and then compete against the women."
Jenner made the comment in response to a sophomore Seattle Academy transgender student who is crushing her new female competition with two victories, including one in a conference championship, and three top-two finishes in eight races this season. The student's participation in female sports has sparked fierce outrage among parents and competitors, who point out that 5,000-meter runner finished in 72nd place in a boys cross-country race just one year prior to joining the girls team.
TRANSGENDER FEMALE CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNER DOMINATING NEW COMPETITION AFTER STRUGGLING AGAINST BOYS
Caitlyn Jenner on Fox News' ‘America’s Newsroom.' (Fox News)
Earlier this month, the Seattle student came in 18th place with a time of 20:31.3. Had the sophomore competed in the boys division, her time would have given her a 145th-place finish.
Jenner said she blames the "woke state of Washington's" policies for enabling female athletes to be deprived of scholarships and other opportunities by biologically male competitors.
In 2007, the WIAA adopted the International Olympic Committee's position that transgender people can participate in sports in their reassigned gender as long as they had undergone surgery and had a minimum of two years of hormone treatments. Eleven years later, the association then updated its stance, saying a male-to-female student "must have one calendar year of medically documented testosterone suppression therapy to be eligible to participate on a female team."
Last year, though, the WIAA eliminated all requirements of medical evaluation, stating that athletes can participate in activities in "a manner that is consistent with their gender identity."
Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas after winning the 500 meter freestyle during an NCAA college swimming meet with Harvard on Jan. 22, 2022, at at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)
"Meaning, you just identify as being trans and you can compete on the women’s team," Jenner said. "Now, they made this rule because they thought it was more consistent with the Washington State’s nondiscrimination laws that they had out there. I have been from the beginning…out for that, like that fourth place woman who is trying to make it to the state championships. But there’s a trans athlete in there in the top three that doesn’t allow her to be able to go do that, fulfill her dreams, maybe get a scholarship down the line. We have to keep it fair."
Jenner said her position on the issue is consistent with her stance surrounding transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, adding that both Thomas and the Seattle student were just "playing within the rules."
"But," she said, "they have to change the rules and on the international swimming scene, they did."
WIAA released a statement to Fox News Digital pointing to the league's "gender identity eligibility rules."
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Outside the Seattle Academy in Seattle. (Googld Street View)
"WIAA Gender Identity eligibility rules, which have been in place for more than 13 years, follow Washington state non-discrimination laws which protects full access to athletic activities for students," the statement reads. "Federal law under Title IX also requires equal treatment for all participants, regardless of gender identity. Additionally, these policies reflect the core value of the Association to maximize participation in education-based athletics, which provide the safest and most meaningful opportunities for students to engage with and represent their school."
"The role of the WIAA is to support all member schools as well as all student-athletes that represent them and the Association will continue to do so," the statement reads.
Fox News' Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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