A high school girls basketball team in Vermont has forfeited a tournament because they refused to play against another team that had a transgender player in their lineup.
The team from Mid Vermont Christian School (MVCS) was scheduled to play Long Trail School on Feb. 21 in the first round of the tournament. But, MVCS chose to forfeit the game due to a transgender player on Long Trail’s team.
“We withdrew from the tournament because we believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” MVCS head of school Vicky Fogg said, according to CNN. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.”
This means Long Trail automatically advanced to the next round.
The inclusion of transgender athletes in female sports has been met with pushback from conservatives, who argue that transgender athletes have an advantage over cisgender women.
Several GOP-led states have passed laws banning transgender youths from taking part in female school sports.
Transgender students are allowed to play on girls’ high school teams in Vermont. The Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) policy on gender identity, the state’s governing body for school sports, says students are able to participate in athletic activities “in a manner consistent with their gender identity.”
The policy also “prohibits discrimination based on a student’s actual or perceived sex and gender.”
In a statement after MVCS forfeiture, the VPA said it “reiterates its support for each student.”
What a close minded and sad place the world is.