A few dozen people carry signs and shouting chants turned out in another show of support for a reported transgender athlete on the Santa Rosa Junior College volleyball team at Wednesday’s game against American River College.
The gathering was in response to several anti-trans groups marking the game as a chance to bring attention to the topic of transgender athletes in women’s sports, which arose at SRJC last month when three SRJC volleyball players filed a Title IX complaint about the presence of a transgender player on the team.
Earlier this week, a coalition of groups pushing back against transgender participation in women’s sports announced that they’d be holding a rally outside of the Bear Cubs’ home gym in advance of the game. Around a dozen people representing those groups arrived prior to the game with signs that read “No Child is Born in the Wrong Body” and “Stop Gaslighting Women.”
Supporters of the athlete – who The Press Democrat is not naming since they have not spoken about their gender identity publicly – lined the entranceway to Haehl Pavilion holding signs that read “Trans Rights are Human Rights,” “No bans, no bigotry, just game” and “Respect Existence or Expect Resistance” before the coalition group arrived.
Beth Bourne, president of the Yolo County Moms for Liberty group and an outspoken anti-trans activist, exchanged words with several counterprotesters as they chanted “Love wins” in response. The scene dissolved as both groups made their way inside the gym for the game, which American River won in four sets.
More supporters showed up as the game progressed, many holding signs and rainbow pride flags.
SRJC has been embroiled in the issue of transgender participation in women’s sports since early September, when SRJC volleyball players Brielle Galli and sisters Madison and Gracie Shaw filed a federal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights alleging that their Title IX right were being violated by allowing the transgender player on the team and claiming the player’s presence poses a physical threat to teammates as well as opponents.
Those three players have since left the team out of protest but have said in media appearances over the last several weeks that they would return to the team if the transgender player either left or was removed from the roster.
Their complaint further alleges that school officials disregarded their concerns over several months ahead of the season. The three seek to have the junior college and the state’s other affiliated community colleges stripped of all federal funding and hit with monetary penalties and sanctions and for a “sex verification screening” program to be imposed.
SRJC complies with guidance from the California Community College Athletic Association, the governing body for junior college athletics in the state, regarding transgender athletes.
SRJC is continuing to decline comment on the matter outside of issuing a statement through a school spokesperson last month, saying that “Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all students and employees. The District complies with California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) regulations, which govern student eligibility and participation in our athletic programs. We respect the legal privacy rights of all students and cannot discuss individual circumstances. What we can affirm is that SRJC takes all reports seriously and responds through established procedures.”