In a silent but powerful act of protest, two Oregon high school athletes turned their backs on the podium during the state track and field championship after a transgender competitor was honored alongside them — reigniting national debate over fairness in women’s sports.
At the Oregon High School State Track and Field Championships this weekend, two female athletes made headlines not for their athletic performance, but for stepping down in protest during a podium ceremony that included a transgender competitor.
Alexa Anderson of Tigard High School and Reese Eckard of Sherwood High School — who placed third and fourth respectively in the girls’ high jump event — declined to remain on the awards podium as results were being announced at the Eugene stadium Saturday night. The moment came when Lia Rose, a trans athlete from Ida B. Wells High School who tied for fifth place, stepped up to receive recognition.
Video footage, widely shared online, shows Anderson and Eckard leaving the podium and standing with their backs turned as officials continued the ceremony. A race organizer can later be seen ushering them away from the stage.
While the crowd’s reaction wasn’t clearly captured, the athletes’ quiet protest quickly went viral. The clip was amplified by women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines — a former collegiate swimmer who has become one of the most prominent voices opposing the inclusion of transgender athletes in female competitions.
“Watch this. Two female athletes in Oregon refused to stand on the podium because a boy was awarded a place,” Gaines wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Girls have had enough.”
The video was also circulated by several conservative and gender-critical platforms, including “Libs of TikTok,” which praised Anderson and Eckard for what they called an “act of courage.”
Rose, the trans athlete at the center of the incident, had competed in the boys’ division as recently as 2023 and 2024, according to reports by Fox News. Her inclusion in the girls’ division this year follows Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) guidelines, which allow athletes to compete in divisions aligning with their gender identity.
The OSAA has not released an official statement regarding the protest, nor is it yet clear whether Anderson or Eckard will face any repercussions for their actions. While their positions in the high jump standings remain unchanged for now, the organization is likely to face growing pressure from both sides of the debate in the days ahead.
This incident comes amid a series of similar protests in high school and collegiate athletics across the U.S., where the question of transgender inclusion in women’s sports remains one of the most contentious topics in American culture and politics.
In April, U.S. fencer Stephanie Turner took a knee and refused to compete against a trans athlete during a match in Maryland. USA Fencing suspended her for a year in response. In May, California high schooler Reese Hogan protested a similar outcome when she was bumped to second place by a transgender athlete in the CIF Southern Section Finals — she later took the top step on the podium after her competitor chose not to appear.
These acts of protest, though isolated, are increasingly symbolic flashpoints in a broader culture war — one that pits inclusivity and identity rights against long-standing notions of competitive fairness in sex-segregated sports.
Proponents of trans inclusion argue that gender identity must be respected, and that trans athletes face extreme marginalization and discrimination when barred from participating in accordance with their identity. Organizations like the ACLU and Human Rights Campaign have pointed to studies suggesting that hormone therapy can level the physiological playing field.
But critics — including many current and former female athletes — counter that transgender inclusion can create inherent biological advantages in strength, speed, and endurance, particularly in sports like track and field where fractions of seconds matter. They argue that female athletes are being unfairly displaced, and that these instances undermine years of effort toward achieving equity in women’s sports.
The protest in Oregon may not have involved words, but its message was loud and clear.
As debate continues to intensify across the country, states remain deeply divided on the issue. While 24 states have enacted laws barring trans athletes from competing in girls’ or women’s sports, others — like Oregon — maintain inclusive policies.
The athletes involved in Saturday’s protest have not publicly commented on their actions, and school officials have yet to release statements.
But the moment has already added fuel to a national conversation that shows no signs of slowing down.
