Grandparent Accuses a 9-Year-Old Girl of Being Transgender in Girls' Sports Event Because She Had a "Pixie Cut" - "This has destroyed our beautiful daughters confidence"

Things took a turn at a school sports event when a grandparent wrongly accused a nine-year-old, who had a "pixie" haircut, of being transgender.

Nine-Year-Old's Gender Identity Questioned

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A family from British Columbia has gained widespread support and international media coverage after sharing an incident in which a man raised doubts about the gender of their nine-year-old daughter during a sports event. 

Shutdown of Shot-Put Event

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In the Canadian town of Kelowna, British Columbia, a shot-put competition was shut down due to a relative of another participant, causing disruption for the youngster who was taking part.

Mother Recounts Gender Discrimination Incident

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Speaking to the Castanet, the youngster's mother Heidi Starr said: “She went to step up to compete for the grade four shot-put final, and right before she went to throw, a grandfather of a student said, ‘Hey, this is supposed to be a girls’ event, and why are you letting boys compete.’ 

Revealing Daughter's Identity

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The mother provided additional details about her daughter's identity, stating, “My daughter is cisgender, born female, uses she/her pronouns. She has a pixie haircut.” 

Request for Proof of Assigned Gender

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According to the mother of the young girl, the unidentified man further escalated the situation by demanding that the youngster provide documentation proving her assigned female gender at birth. "It was gobsmacking," Starr recounted.

"I said … 'Are you asking for a certificate proving that my daughter was born with a vagina [and] you need proof of her genitals?'"

Targeting Girls with Short Hair

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“He stopped the entire event. He also pointed at another girl who also had short hair. He then piped in and said, ‘Well, if she is not a boy, then she is obviously trans,’” Starr recounted. 

Tension Mounts as Parents Confront the Man 

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Starr also says that multiple parents confronted the man and urged him to leave but he refused. Eventually, at the conclusion of the event, he left along with his wife and granddaughter.

Verbal Assaults 

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The other mother of the youngster, Kari Starr, says that the man's wife proceeded to verbally attack her, allegedly hurling insults such as "genital mutilator," "groomer," and "pedophile."

Incident Shatters Girl's Confidence

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Ms. Starr expressed that the incident has had a negative impact on their daughter's self-confidence. “This has destroyed our beautiful daughter’s confidence, and she was inconsolably crying during this whole event and continued once it was over and we were leaving,” she said.

“Not to mention, she was unable to concentrate on her track and field finals and the shot-put throw for which she had qualified.”

Man Denies Allegations

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In a statement provided to Castanet, the man involved denied yelling at the Starr family and their daughter.

He clarified that he had asked a parent volunteer about whether the event was inclusive of both boys and girls, but he claimed that he had not specifically questioned the girl's transgender status.

Denial of Yelling and Vulgar Remarks

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"As I was walking away from the official, a woman [said], 'I'm her mother,' and [she was] yelling, and swearing at me and offering if I want to see [the girl] naked, or if I want to see her genitals," the man said in the statement.

"I said, 'No, the certificate is OK.' That's all I said. I never pointed to another girl and said she's obviously trans. That is a big lie as well."

Incident Garners Global Support and Media Attention

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Ms. Starr took to Facebook to share the incident, which has resulted in an outpouring of sympathy for her daughter and has attracted significant international media coverage. 

Inclusive Upbringing

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Starr emphasized that her daughter has been raised in an environment that promotes inclusivity and acceptance of individuals with diverse gender identities. Growing up with lesbian parents and having transgender teachers and coaches, she has embraced the values of inclusivity. 

Emotional Toll

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Unfortunately, the incident had a profound impact on the young girl, affecting her deeply. "She was physically vibrating. She was sobbing. She was in and out of tears all day till bedtime that day," Starr said.

Incident Casts a Cloud Over Girl's 10th Birthday

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Heidi's ex-wife Kari mentioned that the incident took place just a week prior to their daughter's 10th birthday. Despite the young girl's attempts to move on from the incident, it is possible that it could have lingering negative effects on her well-being.

"I think she's risen above it and [become] stronger, but not to say it's not going to affect her in some capacity forever," she expressed. 

Transgender Youth in Sports Becomes a Divisive Issue

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The issue of banning transgender youth from participating in sports has gained traction as a prominent culture war topic, particularly among right-wing circles. Republican politicians in the United States have been actively advocating for state-level bans on transgender participation in sports.

School District Takes Action

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According to Kevin Kaardal, the superintendent of Central Okanagan School District, they are currently taking measures to ensure that the man involved is banned from attending any future school events.

Protecting Students

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“Staff intervened and actually moved the shot-put away from where he was. The gentleman was not a part of our school district. We are taking steps to ensure he is not able to be on our school property or attend events in the future,” Kaardal said, empathizing that “adults need to govern themselves and behave appropriately.”

Apology Amidst Conflict

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Kardaal told CBC News that one of the couples involved apologized to the school principal. He characterized their behavior during the event as confrontational. "The couple, particularly the gentleman, were belligerent and they were asked to stop what they were doing and leave the area, and they were reluctant to do so,” he said.

Kardaal continued, "I understand I was not on the call and our principal listened, [but that] certainly doesn't condone the behaviour and doesn't necessarily believe that the person's version of events reflects what we've discovered in our investigation.”

Unacceptable Hate

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British Columbia Premier David Eby denounced on Twitter the alleged incident as transphobic, expressing his dismay and stating, "This is awful - this kind of hate is not acceptable or welcome in British Columbia."

He added, “Let's keep calling out transphobia when we see it. Hate hurts everyone. And let's stand with this girl and everyone who is targeted just for being themselves.”

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