"Anderson knew the risks when she walked away that day. "It definitely hurt," she said of the backlash. "But it never hurt enough to get me to stand down." That's the quiet courage Title IX demands." . . .
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| Oregon girls' track and field athletes Reese Eckard and Alexa Anderson did not stand on a medal podium next to a trans opponent. (Courtesy of America First Policy Institute) |
"When Alexa Anderson and Reese Eckard stepped off the podium at Oregon's girls' state track championship in May, they weren't staging a tantrum. They were taking a stand. Third and fourth place in the high jump after years of grueling practice, the two Tigard High School seniors refused to share the moment with a transgender athlete who had cleared the bar for fifth.
"In that quiet act of dissent, they exposed the raw fault lines in the push to redefine fairness in women's sports. Anderson, now a freshman at the University of South Alabama, earned her bronze medal the hard way. Four seasons of early mornings, sore muscles, and quiet determination led her to that podium. Yet officials, after forcing the protesters out of the championship photo, promised to ship the medals to the school.
"They didn't. Not for months. Only after Anderson and Eckard sued the Oregon School Activities Association, alleging a First Amendment violation, did the medals arrive, quietly forwarded to their lawyers at the America First Policy Institute. U.S. District Judge Youlee Yim You's recent denial of the OSAA's motion to dismiss underscores the case's merit.
"The association had argued against claims of selective censorship, pointing to allowed displays of Black Lives Matter slogans and pride flags at events. Anderson has seen it firsthand: Shirts, pins, and banners celebrating those causes drew no ire during her high school career." . . .
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