Federal agency: Athletes must compete as birth gender

OLYMPIA — A U.S. Department of Education ruling could effect scholastic sports in Washington's middle and high schools and colleges.

In a ruling Thursday, May 28, the agency found that a Connecticut policy that allows athletes to compete as the opposite sex is a violation of the federal Title IX laws requiring equal opportunity for boys and girls to compete in scholastic sports.

The finding threatens funding to schools and related athletic programs that allow boys who "gender identify" as girls to compete in female-designated sports.

The agency determined that allowing birth-gender boys to compete as girls violates Title IX, as it eliminates equal opportunity in sports.

The finding came in a lawsuit in which female students filed suit after boys were allowed to compete in track meet as "girls" under Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference rules.

The lawsuit cited biological facts pointing out that gender differences give boys an unfair advantage. It also noted that the boys were faster than the Top 2 female runners in the state, effectively taking away the opportunity for girls to win state track titles.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the Washington state equivalent of the Connecticut club, has similar rules which allow boys to compete as "girls."

WIAA officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

In addition to Connecticut and Washington, 16 other states allow boys to compete as girls; 32 states do not allow boys in girls sports.