Transgender athlete helps girls win state track and field championships — tells critics to 'just deal with it'
A Massachusetts high school track team beat out all competition recently, winning the girls' state track and field championships with the help of a transgender athlete, an 11th-grade biological male.
According to the Daily Mail, Chloe Barnes helped Brookline High School win the state's Interscholastic Athletics Association Division 1 Indoor Track and Field Championships after competing in the girls' 55m hurdles, coming in fourth place behind his school teammate.
Barnes reportedly just began competing in girls' athletics in grade 11 and had already helped the team win a 4x200-meter relay in January 2023.
State rules allow boys to compete in girls' athletics, and vice versa, with the rules stating, "Students who are transgender may participate in accordance with the gender identity they consistently assert at school. Interscholastic athletic activities are addressed through the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Gender Identity Policy (MIAA) clarification."
Barnes told a student newspaper in 2022 that he was practicing with the girls' team but competing against the boys at the time.
“I’m in an arrangement with my coaches where I practice with the girls' team but compete on the boys' team,” Barnes said.
“It was more a result of me just being afraid of other people watching [me] race.”
The high school paper asked Barnes for comment regarding people who want to restrict transgender athletes’ presence on athletic teams. Barnes simply replied, “Deal with it ... just deal with it.”
The girls' track and field coach appears to agree with the state's stance on transgender athletes, saying, "Although there are laws that govern what we’re supposed to do and everything else, I don’t think Brookline would ever run afoul, even without the laws."
"I’m sure they would fully support any individual,” added Coach Lee Eddy.
All-American swimmer Riley Gaines posted a photo of Barnes alongside competitors, showing the obvious difference in size between athletes.
"Massachusetts girls high school track and field state championship a few weeks ago. Can you guess which is the male? " she asked.
The Independent Council on Women's Sports pointed out the difference in height for hurdles in girls' versus boys' competitions.
"Junior, non-binary identifying male, Chloe Barnes helps girls team win Massachusetts HS State Championships with performance in the hurdles. Girls hurdles = 33"h v. Boys hurdles = 39"h."
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