By TIM BARTO
Alaska took a big step towards becoming the 23rd state to protect girls’ sports for girls when the State Board of Education voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution to keep biological males from competing with and against biological females.
The following board members voted in favor of the action to support female athletes:
- James Fields, Board Chair
- Lorri Van Diest, First Vice Chair
- Jeffrey Erickson
- Bob Griffin
- Sally Stockhausen
- Barbara Tyndall
- Pamela Dupras
The board’s military advisor, Air Force Lt. Col. James Fowley, abstained; while the lone no vote went to student advisor Felix Myers.
Also in attendance were five non-voting participants, including Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development Dr. Deena Bishop, Deputy Commissioner Heidi Teshner, Assistant State Attorney General Susan Sonneborn, Alaska School Activities Association Executive Director Billy Strickland, and board Executive Secretary Janell Andrews.
This was a special meeting, conducted virtually, and called for the sole purpose of discussing and voting on the resolution. It lasted almost exactly one-and-one-half hours, and accomplished exactly what was needed to protect girls’ sports from the intrusion of boys who identify as girls, as well as those who seek to deconstruct Title IX and use the public education system to further their radical views on human sexuality.
Most of the comments were in favor of the resolution to protect girls’ sports.
Lorri Van Diest argued for common sense in acknowledging that male athletes have physical and physiological advantages over female athletes, and she provided examples from around the country where biological males took away hard-earned victories away from female athletes and teams. Additionally, Van Diest provided an example in which a biological male volleyball player spiked a ball into the head of an opposing player (a true female), causing long-term injury.
Billy Strickland forwarded the idea that school sports would continue to be organized in their present state: there will be a sport and there will be a girls’ sport. Transgender athletes will be encouraged to participate, but will need to do so in the main sport – not the girls’ sport.
Similarly, a biological girl who wants to play a traditionally male sport such as football but who would rather play tackle football instead of on the girls’ flag football team, can opt to try out for the tackle football team. So, essentially, there will be an open sports category (the traditional male teams) open to everyone, and the female teams that will be limited to true females.
A few of the members acknowledged the overwhelming input provided by Alaskans during the 30-day open comment session, noting that there were arguments made on both sides of the issue. Cited statistics revealed an overwhelming majority of Americans support keeping girls’ sports for girls only, and it was noted that Alaska Family Council provided over 2,000 signatures on its statewide petition to save girls’ sports.
The lone voice of dissent was Felix Myers who, despite acknowledging that there are, in fact, differences between males and females, still called for a no vote on the resolution. Time and money, he argued, would be better spent on helping female athletes with eating disorders and providing more funding for girls’ sports (which would, of course, include biological males who identify as females).
Almost immediately after the vote, Anchorage School Board president Margo Bellamy, and Anchorage School Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt, issued a joint statement, praising student member Myers and questioning why the board was prioritizing the issue. Bellamy and Bryantt do not see this as an urgent matter. The board members, with the exception of Myers, disagreed.
The speed at which transgender issues are developing, and disrupting the entirety of human existence, is alarming, and the topic of female-identifying males competing against true females is not going away.
It is just a matter of time before the issue becomes a major issue in Alaska, as it has throughout the United States. The Alaska Board of Education found that it was time to draw the line, and did so without further delay.
Tim Barto is Vice President of Alaska Family Council.
What?? Our government reaching a common sense conclusion?? !!
My faith is renewed….
Not so fast, are we going to have another battle with ASD compliance?
Margo and jared, COMPLY, we the people have spoken, loud n clear.
I think you are overstating it. In a world with common sense, the subject would never have come up.
Can I get an Amen!!!!
Amen!
This should never have come to this, praise god for women. It’s amazing the media has drug our country threw this crap. What a bunch of freaks we have pushing this insanity.. I took notice that our Airforce boy didn’t have enough nuts to do the right thing. Apparently our military is completely gone woke. Felix the name says it all. Good lord. Hay Felix do you suppose there are transgender bears how about you go to kodiak and investigate.
Our military, unfortunately, is bound by the current administration, tho they are also woke as all get out commanders (common sense is out the window with most of them).
Great observation, we women should not have to fight stupid wars….
Amen Lori.
Unexpected but wonderful news. Expected the Board to bow the knee to the woke avengers, but they didn’t. Good on them! Thank you for doing the right thing!
Don’t worry, boys and girls, the ACLU will be along in no time to file a lawsuit challenging this. They will take it all the way to the Alaska and United States Supreme Courts. NOTHING will stop this cabal of groomers from coming for your children and grandchildren.
I have no doubt the AK Supreme Court will side with the rainbow cultists, as they always do.
Why exactly is this even an issue ? Women need to stand up together against this stupidity.
You go girls! It’s time you showed some balls!
If they have those to show, they’ll now have to play on the right team
A hard fought victory for girls and young women! You deserve fair competition and recognition for all your hard work and accomplishments. Go out there and shine, and don’t let others ever silence you or make you feel less than!
Thank you to the State Board of Education for choosing to protect females in female sports. Our children are our future and we must teach them right from wrong and how to fight for future generations.
HOORAY!!!!!
Thank You to:
James Fields, Board Chair
Lorri Van Diest, First Vice Chair
Jeffrey Erickson
Bob Griffin
Sally Stockhausen
Barbara Tyndall
Pamela Dupras
You all give us hope!
Thank God, both for the decision and for the courage of the State Board (two exceptions need prayer…).
This may surprise you all (yes, you too Jefferson), but I wholeheartedly agree with this decision. The point of athletic competition is to find the best performer within a cohort with similar abilities. That’s why kid’s sports are segmented by age, why we have both amateur and professional sports, and why we separate male and female competition. Now, if a guy wants to transition to female, he/she/they can transition a lot of things, but size, muscle mass, height, and other characteristics that improve athletic abilities are generally not amongst them. Allowing a genetically male individual to compete against women is just basically unfair in most sports.
One good solution to all of this is to create “open” categories for competition, where anyone who thinks they can cut the mustard can compete against each other.
So, you see, not all of us who are left of center fall under the “radical, leftist, extremist” label so often pinned to us here on MRAK. The world is more complicated than that, even if Fox and CNN (and MRAK?) don’t want you to believe it.
Oh, and guys, unless you’ve gone under the knife – yes, that way, you can stay out of the women’s changing rooms as well.
Upward Dog. :^)!!
You are the kind of person who gives me hope for the future. Too many people – on both sides – are far too wedded to their ideological talking points so it is nice to see there are at least a few of us who are still capable of thinking for ourselves.
That’ll do, Whidbey, that’ll do.
Props.
Though I would advance that even those that have gone under the knife have no business within a
‘women’s’ changing room.
If MRAK is too hard on your feelings ADN is looking for support.
Last I heard they had one foot in the pit and the other on a banana peel.
We count on Suzanne to provide the most accurate reporting on the issues at hand that affect our abilities to keep our families safe.
If the truth hurts your agenda or your parties agenda then there is always National Enquire to get the “truth” you are looking for.
Finally some good news!!!
Good. This should never have been an issue. But, with the times we live in was certainly necessary.
Everyone needs to stop enabling mental illness.
Common sense and the fact there are only two genders prevails.
This is where we will be called hypocrites by the warp minded leftists who insist a trans he/she is a woman. What about our boys rights not to be competing against a girl because she thinks she is a tomboy. Boys don’t like competing against a girl as much as s girl wouldn’t want to compete against boys. Then he has to think about hurting her not being a jerk. If a boy does treat her like one of the guys then that’s how everyone else views him a jerk.
“ a biological girl who wants to play a traditionally male sport such as football but who would rather play tackle football instead of on the girls’ flag football team, can opt to try out for the tackle football team. So, essentially, there will be an open sports category (the traditional male teams) open to everyone, and the female teams that will be limited to true females” we going to be called hypocrites.
This is where we will be called hypocrites by the warp minded leftists who insist a trans he/she is a woman. What about our boys rights not to be competing against a girl because she thinks she is a tomboy. Boys don’t like competing against a girl as much as s girl wouldn’t want to compete against boys. Then he has to think about not hurting her to not being seen as a jerk. If a boy does treat her like one of the guys then that’s how everyone else views him a jerk making boys underperform.
“ a biological girl who wants to play a traditionally male sport such as football but who would rather play tackle football instead of on the girls’ flag football team, can opt to try out for the tackle football team. So, essentially, there will be an open sports category (the traditional male teams) open to everyone, and the female teams that will be limited to true females” we going to be called hypocrites.
Hooray!
Must Read Alaska got the headline correct. “State Board of Education votes to save girls’ sports for girls.” The biased, liberal publications wrote: “Alaska board of education votes to limit trans girls’ participation in high school sports.” And, “Alaska Education Board Votes to ban transgender girls from girls sports.” (ADN). Note their inherent bias. There is no such thing as a transgender girl. There is a such a thing as a boy dressed up to be a girl, but that doesn’t change the biology.
Good on Must Read Alaska. And kudos to the sane members of the education board for protecting girls.
The Board did the right thing.
All honor, glory, and praise be to God.
Do not believe the Alaska Constitution should be squandered for a solution looking for a problem.
Why do you hate women, “Frank?”
AWESOME!!!
Well damn. Our blind squirrels found a common sense acorn.
Trans shouldn’t be able to play sports. They’re pumped full of all sorts of hormones and chemicals that give them a clear advantage over healthy kids. Not to mention how every day we hear more and more about trans kids taking sexual advantage of normal kids in locker rooms.
So boys sports are for everyone and girls sports are girls only.hardly feels just.
Two points:
First: Dr. Bryantt is being totally disingenuous to suggest this issue isn’t important. The State Board’s action boxes in the leftist ASD and makes adoption of the opposite approach much more difficult. Bryantt can go pound sand.
Second and more important point: Trans “women” are NOT women. Saying that they are is false and irrational. No one is required to endorse this delusion. This is where the battle must be fought. Never endorse a falsehood. This principle applies to all other areas of life (except for arguments with your spouse).
Let BBryanTT speak, He incriminates himself at every single issue that arises and then some!
It will be the only way people will get a glimpse of his sickness.
Finally, a rare w for Alaska.
Thankyou board members, its brave to stand up to the woke mob. Let’s hope you don’t get visits from the FBI or IRS.
A true female. There is a phrase that needs to b used more.
The local ACLU is going to fight this and Anchorage’s school district is already subtly expressing their lack of support for this unanimous decision.
The ACLU is truly a destructive force to our culture and society. It really needs to be exposed over and over for what they have done to this country and lose all favor from even from the dumbest of the of the most drippy. It’s primary purpose anymore is to increase division, crime, and homelessness.
Want to save Anchorage Schools?
Remove the “B” team: Bellamy and Bryantt.
Making a public statement against such an overwhelmingly unified decision by DEED is just one more reason they should both go.
I’m pleased that the Board, for the most part, did the right thing. The only part of this that gives me pause is the explicit approval given to girls playing full contact sports against boys. First, boys should be taught (as I was) that it is NEVER ok to hit a female; having a co-ed football team would seem to undermine this important value. Second, for the same reasons that males should not play on female teams, a girl on an otherwise all-boys football team would be both at an extreme disadvantage and also at extreme risk of personal injury.
If schools want to create a separate open division, fine, but there should still be girls’ AND boys’ sports.
I agree 100%, AK Pilot! Well said.
A dying breed “common sense” prevails.
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