NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia High School League, the overseeing authority over high school athletic competition in the state, will not be amending its appeal process regarding transgender student athlete play. The league says only its member schools can amend its policy.
This June, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin unveiled an updated "Privacy, Dignity, and Respect" policy model for Virginia schools. The guidance model, intended to be a policy framework for school boards to adopt, has been criticized by LGBTQ+ organization in the Commonwealth, asserting that it targets LGBTQ+ youth. Some of the issues raised include directions that school personnel identify students using pronouns associated with that student's birth gender, as well as directives that no school policy "to conceal material information about a student from the student’s parent, including information related to gender."
However, current VHSL policy allows for transgender students to play sports based on their gender transition, and a waiver will be considered under certain criteria:
- A student-athlete who has undergone sex reassignment before puberty
- Any student who is verified by appropriate medical documentation as having a consistent identity different than the gender listed on the student's official birth certificate or school registration records
- A student where hormonal therapy appropriate for the assigned sex has been administered in a verifiable manner and for a sufficient length of time to minimize gender-related advantages in sports competition
According a VHSL spokesperson, "The VHSL, which is all the public high schools in Virginia, plus one private high school, adopted the transgender policy in 2014. As a primer, staff does not pass or amend VHSL policy, only our member schools can do that."
Since the policy's adoption in 2014, the VHSL has approved 22 of just 25 total appeals through this process.
Icarus Landaker, a recent graduate from high school Virginia Beach, played one season on a school affiliated girl's soccer team, but says they never felt completely comfortable competing for either girls or boys team, as it was around the time they were transitioning to a gender separate from their birth gender.
They say the appeals process offered a sense of comfort and support for athletes going through a transition.
“Not a lot of people have gone through that appeal process, but having the option and knowing it’s there is a safeguard. Who doesn’t want a safeguard? It gives them a second option if their current options run out or don’t work," Landaker said.
Its policy also establishes criteria in which a waiver will not be considered, including if the case is determined for gaining an unfair advantage for competitive athletics.
"The law states Virginia Department of Education shall provide and school boards shall adopt. The Virginia High School League does not have a role," Macaulay Porter, spokeswoman for Governor Youngkin said.
The full policies can be read here.