A group of middle school girls from West Virginia are on a coast-to-coast tour that is focusing on the competition between biological girls and transgender students. The tour, called “Our Bodies, Our Sports ‘Take Back Title IX,’” stopped in Charleston on Wednesday night. One of the athletes involved, Sabrina Shriver from Lincoln Middle School’s Track and Field Team, was interviewed on MetroNews “Talkline” to discuss the issue.
Shriver was part of a protest when transgender student Becky Pepper-Jackson was allowed to compete in a Harrison County track meet. Pepper-Jackson, according to court filings, was born male but has identified as a girl since childhood. She has been living as a girl at home since third grade and has been receiving puberty-delaying treatment for almost a year due to a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. However, West Virginia passed a bill in 2021 affecting transgender athletes, leading to restrictions on their participation on sports teams.
The track members felt that Pepper-Jackson had an unfair advantage over them due to being biologically male. They staged a protest in April to draw attention to the issue and advocate for changes. With concerns over their equal athletic opportunity, privacy, and safety, women and girl coaches and athletes are worried about the impact of President Joe Biden’s proposed new Title IX regulations.
Shriver expressed hope that the rally on Wednesday would bring more awareness to the issue and the impending changes due to the new Title IX regulations taking effect on August 1st. The discussion around competition between biological girls and transgender students continues to stir debate and raise questions about fairness and equality in sports.
In conclusion, several West Virginia middle school girls are part of a coast-to-coast tour focusing on competition between biological girls and transgender students. The tour visited Charleston on Wednesday night where one of the athletes involved made an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline.” The athletes felt that they were at an unfair disadvantage due to being biologically female when competing against transgender student Becky Pepper-Jackson who identified as female from childhood despite being born male. With concerns over their equal athletic opportunity, privacy
