‘This act right here is selfish’: Gee and Ursula criticize WIAA after Camas cross-country meet moved

A Southwest Washington high school cross-country championship is being moved because of safety concerns surrounding a transgender runner. KIRO host Gee Scott blamed the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) for allowing the runner to switch divisions in the middle of the season.

The Class 4A Greater St. Helens League district meet had been scheduled for Lewisville Regional Park. It will now take place on Camas School District property, where security officers can patrol the entire course, and runners will be easier to see.

On “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, KIRO host Ursula Reutin explained that the move follows a protest at a meet Tuesday. About a dozen Camas girls walked off the starting line to protest a transgender teammate competing in the girls’ division. Videos of the protest have been viewed millions of times and drawn national attention.

League athletic directors voted unanimously to move the championship. They cited concerns about safety, security, and crowd control in the current climate.

Ursula noted that Camas High School did not break any rules because Washington currently allows students to compete based on gender identity. Voters will weigh in on that policy in November through Initiative 638.

Gee says the mid-season switch was wrong

Gee pointed out that the runner competed in the boys’ division on Sept. 5 before switching to the girls’ division in October.

“I’m sorry, y’all. It’s wrong. That should not have happened,” Gee said. “The WIAA, you are getting this wrong.”

He compared the situation to Seattle’s Chief Sealth girls basketball team, which was stripped of back-to-back state championships from 2005 and 2006 because of recruiting violations. Gee stressed that adults, not players, committed those violations.

Gee said he and Ursula push back when people demonize the transgender community. But he argued the runner’s decision hurts that community.

“This act right here is selfish to the transgender community,” Gee said. “If they want to compete with the boys to start the season, OK. However the rules are, but the fact that they’re switching mid-season — that’s wrong.”

Ursula worries the decision will fuel hate

Ursula wrote a column on MyNorthwest, arguing that switching mid-season will only fuel the anger already directed at transgender people.

“I wish that this runner did not make that decision midstream when we are in the midst of something that has become so much bigger, given the small number of trans students who actually play high school sports,” she said.

Ursula said she believes athletes born male should not compete on girls-only teams. She also condemned the hostility toward transgender people.

“I hate all the hate that is being directed toward the trans community,” Ursula said.

She added that the meet’s move means every student competing now has to worry about safety.

“This has jacked it up that much more that now all the students who are taking part in this meet have to move the championship, have to be worried about their safety because of the amount of hatred,” she said.

Gee questions whether WIAA would allow the switch in other sports

Gee raised a point from a listener: Would the WIAA allow an athlete to play boys basketball in September and girls basketball a month later?

“I actually think you would put a line in the sand on that,” Gee said.

Ursula suggested the switch may have gotten less scrutiny because it happened in cross country.

“I think because it’s cross country, and it wasn’t going to get that much attention,” she said.

She expects the WIAA would say no rules were broken, but she believes the organization is falling short. Gee agreed, noting that athletic directors felt they had to move the meet because of possible threats.

“If the idea is to protect children in sports, you just had the athletic directors vote 9-0 to move it because of the potential of threats,” Gee said.

Ursula acknowledged that the WIAA could face a lawsuit if it acted differently.

“Between a rock and a hard place, this is such a complex situation that is just blown up into something really big,” she said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.