Everyone knows that parental egos can get in the way of their kid's sport. From harassing referees to berating coaches in public, it is all too common for American youth athletics to be interrupted by the parent who is taking it all a little too seriously. But a
recent incident in Utah puts those stories to shame, and
ended with a deep, invasive investigation into a child's history, including information about her sex assigned at birth, without her or her parents' consent. Sign now to demand the Utah High School Activities Association apologize to this athlete. It must also revise its policy so that no more children have to suffer from these terrible breaches of privacy!In Utah, one teenage girl was doing particularly well in high school athletics. Parents of other children, who had been defeated by the skilled athlete, became upset. Those intrusive and jealous parents then began speculating about the winner's history, body, and gender identity and complained to the Utah High School Activities Association.
In response, the organization actually investigated the full records of the child in question - all the way back through kindergarten - analyzing her gender. They did this without her parents' consent or knowledge. This is clearly a breach of privacy and a terrifying precedent to set for children living in the state!
Parents can be jealous and petty. But this incident goes far beyond what is normal or acceptable behavior for parents or an athletic association and is an egregious breach of privacy.
And apparently, these sorts of complaints are increasingly common. Representatives of the association noted that they regularly get complaints when a female athlete "doesn't look feminine enough."
Young girls' bodies are surveilled enough, and the last thing they need is a formal body digging into their medical history.The Utah High School Activities Association must develop a clear, strong policy around these investigations so that they do not breach innocent children's privacy. No child should be made to suffer because of the fragile egos and hateful biases of other closed-minded parents. Sign the petition now if you agree!