Girls from Camas High School in Washington state who walked off the trail,

protesting the presense of a male on their team.

I have long maintained that, barring courts requiring them to do so, the only way sports authorities in many states, university and colleges, and public school districts around the country will start taking seriously the demand of girls and women not to have to compete against boys and men – to keep female sports competitions exclusively female – is for girls and women to refuse to participate in those competitions where boys or men are allowed to compete against them. When the boy or man is the only one lining up for the start of the track meet, preparing to jump into the pool, standing in the corner of the ring or the mat or the pitch or the court waiting for the bell or the call to start, or otherwise is the only one about to “compete” in the game, race, tournament, fight, or whatever … only then will sports authorities take the complaints of girls and women seriously. Until then, they will continue to allow boys and men to compete against girls and women because they are not concerned about fairness, equality, or an even playing field, and even far less about girl’s and women’s safety, than they are about supporting a bizarre agenda that stands contrary to reality: the agenda that males can become females and females can become males.

Apparently, some girls and women are beginning to understand this. More women and girls have been refusing to compete against men and boys across the country, especially since President Trump signed an Executive Order banning all federal funds from institutions that allow males to compete in female sports and making such a ban the official policy of the U.S. government. Such a ban is supported by nearly 80% of the country, including by significant majorities of Democrats and Independents. Still, while there are no states that mandate that males must be allowed to compete against females, there remain twenty states that have not passed laws that codify the ban. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld laws in West Virginia and Idaho that ban males in female sports, but they also ruled to allow California to continue policies of allowing males in female sports. Schools and organizations that allow males to compete against females in sports usually defend themselves by explaining that their state has anti-discrimination laws that they are bound to follow, and refusing to allow a male who calls himself a female to compete in the female catagories would break the law. No one seems to recognize that forcing female athletes to either play against males or forfeit is discriminating against them.

In April 2024, five middle school girls refused to participate in a shot put competition against a boy.

In November 2024, the Boise State volleyball team refused to play against San Jose State University in the Mountain West Conference volleyball tournament, thus forfeiting their game and their chance at a conference championship. SJSU has a male player on their team. Boise State had refusing to play SJSU twice before during the regular season. Wyoming’s female volleyball team had also forfeited two games against SJSU during the season, and Utah’s had forfeited one game.

In February 2025, Frances Staudt, a 16-year-old high school basketball player in Washington state at the time, refused to play in a game against a team with a male player.

In March 2025, Stephanie Turner took a knee in a fencing tournament, refusing to compete against a male. She lost the match, of course, but was also disqualified from the rest of the tournament.

On September 15 2026, Charlie Garrett and Sierra Retzlaff, cross country athletes for Skyview High School in Washington state, refused to compete against a male athlete from Camas High School in a cross country race.

Also earlier this month, Kallie Keeler, a Washington state high school female wrestler, is asking the courts to allow her to refuse to wrestle male wresters after accusing a male high school wrestler of sexually assaulting her during their match at a female wrestling tournament. She has filed a lawsuit suing the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association and others.

Finally, following the example of Garrett and Retzlaff above, about a dozen girls from Camas High School walked off the trail, refusing to compete in a cros country match, protesting the male athlete who has been allowed to join their team. These girls represent fully half of Camas’ high school cross country team. It’s not so difficult to ignore one or two refusing to race in protest. It’s much harder when it’s half of your team.

It is a shame and a disgrace that the adults who are in charge of the school districts and sports authorities are leaving it to children to make the common sense decisions on this matter. The fact that they have the courage to stand up to their coaches, their school authorities, and even their classmates speaks volumes for their courage and seriousness. They are willing to make sacrifices for the sake of girls who will come after them. Washington state will vote on Initiative 638 on election day next month, a measure that would forbid males from competing against females in certain interscholastic sports programs. These girls, too young to vote yet, are telling their parents to take charge and protect their right to a fair and safe competitive sports environment. Funny that they should even have to do so, considering the battles their grandmothers and great-grandmothers won for their sake.

God is not mocked. When He created people male and female, He declared it “good,” and gave them dominion over the other creatures of the earth. Now, people want dominion over their own genders and the good will of others. Not only do they demand the right to change genders, as if they could, but they demand the right to determine how others act toward them. If others are polite, they will prolly not be polite because, frankly, nothing satsifies them. These girls, and others like them, have decided that being polite is not the way to go. So, they refuse to participate in the lies, the deceits, the pretense in which our modern culture demands they participate. Some of them are paying a high price for this in terms of friendships lost, scholarships lost, opportunities lost, reputations lost, and even potential income if any go on to be professional athletes. Will the pro teams welcome them, knowing their past trouble-making behavior? It sounds ridiculous, but it’s a serious question. Unfortunately, the only people who seem to be taking it seriously, along with the manifold other concerns surrounding this issue, are the children. May our gracious Lord bless and protect them.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.