Cardston High School athlete impacted by transgender participant at recent zone meet
By Lethbridge Herald on June 15, 2023.
By Justin Seward
Lethbridge Herald
A race at the recent high school track and field zone meet on May 25 has caused a stir on a southwestern Alberta scale.
Cardston High School’s Hannah Pilling was competing in her zone meet when she initially lost out on a provincials berth to a Medicine Hat transgender athlete.
This athlete had competed earlier in the season on a male cross-country team and on a junior varsity volleyball team.
The top two finishers go to provincials and Pilling had finished third in the 1,500-metre junior girls.
“She was racing against a transgender athlete, which I guess we never really experienced too much before,” said Pilling’s father David recently. “Although we know it happens because we keep up with sports and everything.
“They had a pretty tight race in the 1,500 and she lost . . . at the very end there. So the top two go through to provincials. So she didn’t qualify for (it) and then we appealed to ASAA (Alberta Schools Athletic Association) because in their policies right now, it’s allowed. Like in the policy, I can’t remember the exact wording of it, but basically it allows transgender athletes to run with whichever group they identify as.”
The ASAA policy does in fact have a Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Policy.
“ASAA prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, which includes any individuals who identify as or are perceived as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, queer or questioning. In order to comply with human rights obligations and uphold the principles of equity and inclusion, ASAA maintains the following policy to facilitate and encourage the participation of all students, staff, coaches, managers, trainers and any other persons associated with high school sport to ensure all members of our diverse communities are welcomed, respected, accepted and supported in all aspects of their athletic endeavours,” says the policy.
“This policy covers participation at ASAA zone and provincial competitions and other activities. The ASAA recognizes the implementation of this policy will require the collaboration of all parties involved. ASAA will provide the necessary supports to all community members and will help to raise awareness about sexual orientation and gender identity-related issues. These guiding supports and principles include but are not limited to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Alberta Human Rights Act and Alberta School Act. “The Association believes that all students, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, should have the opportunity to participate in ASAA activities in a safe, respectful, inclusive and non- judgmental environment.”
Both the Pillings and the Cardston school division sent a letter of appeal to ASAA.
“We just kind of just wanted to raise awareness I guess about it a little bit because we know what happens in the world of sports,” said David.
“But I guess we were a little surprised that it kind of made it all the way to little old southern Alberta. And that it was something that initially we had to at least address at this point.”
Dave saw his daughter as being pretty emotional after.
“She was really frustrated,” he said.
“She participates in a lot of different sports and stuff and she’s been training a lot for this year because she’s looking to get a scholarship. She’ll be in Grade 12 next year, and so she’s wanting to compete in some of these bigger races, so that she can get a little more exposure to universities and colleges. So being able to go to provincials is kind of a big deal for her. So she after the fact, she was pretty discouraged, pretty upset that she had to run against this (transgender athlete) and then kind of just went from there.”
A petition called Save Women’s Sports was launched by David to put awareness out that women can’t compete with biological males and in hopes of not seeing in his eyes the absolute end to women in sports.
“I think the biggest thing was. . . (I )felt like I needed to speak up to sort of protect our girls. I listed all of that in that petition page,” he said.
“I have three daughters who participate quite heavily in sports and we felt like there’s a lot of need just to stand up for kind of preserving women’s sports specifically . . .so that they kind of have a fair shot when they’re competing.”
“Like I said, our superintendent from the school division wrote a letter to ASAA, just basically requesting or appealing (and) asking that Hannah be allowed to race at provincials,” said David.
“(And) they’re appealing that it was unfair,w that the policy itself is unfair. So they made that appeal, we also sent a letter to the ASAA.”
However, Hannah was allowed to compete at provincials in Edmonton and raced in the 3,000 and 1,500-metre races.
Hannah finished fifth in the Women 1,500 Metre Run Junior with a time of 5:10.47 and fourth in the 3,000 metre with a time of 11:25.57.
ASAA had no comment on the matter when contacted by The Herald.
26-25
Bloody nonsense. A male should not be able to compete against females no matter what!!!
This whole transgender thing is getting out of hand.