As Stark-Chessa sprinted towards the finish line, a vocal spectator was heard shouting, “Way to cheat, bro!” This sentiment was echoed by some who believed that allowing transgender athletes to compete in categories that do not align with their biological sex gives them an unfair advantage.
One female runner at the event shared her concerns with journalist Shawn McBreairty, stating, “It is not fair to a female who has trained hard. Males are biologically faster than females, with testosterone. They need to run under their biological gender.”
Katherine Collins, a mother from Winterport, Maine, whose children also compete in track events, concurred with this perspective, emphasizing that men typically possess physical advantages over women.
She pointed out, “The top-ranked female high school runner in all of New England would only be ranked #47th among high school boys in Maine. This boy, Soren Stark-Chessa, ranks #172 among Maine boys but #4 among Maine girls.”
The Festival of Champions race hailed as Maine’s biggest cross-country event, prompted parents to argue that any biological male competing against females will often perform better, fueling the debate on fairness and inclusion in high school sports.
Gender Sports Policy Debate
Ironically, the ‘Gender Equity and Inclusion Policy’ outlined in the Maine Principals Association Handbook states that athletes “should have the opportunity to participate in MPA activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, unless such participation would result in an unfair athletic advantage.”
