According to a report by Castanet, two Canadian mothers have shared an unfortunate incident involving their 9-year-old daughter during a shot-put final at a track and field event. The incident occurred when the grandfather of another participant began shouting at their daughter.
Heidi Star, one of the mothers, recounted the incident, saying, “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.’ My daughter is cisgender, born female, uses she/her pronouns. She has a pixie haircut.”
The man’s comments disrupted the entire event, as he also pointed out another girl with short hair and claimed, “Well, if she is not a boy, then she is obviously trans,” according to Star. To make matters worse, the man’s wife joined in and began hurling derogatory insults at Star, including “a genital mutilator, a groomer, and a pedophile.”
In response to the incident, Kevin Kaardal, the superintendent of Central Okanagan School District, is taking action to have the man banned from all school-related events. However, the impact on the young girl’s confidence has been significant, as expressed by her other mother, Kari.
“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. Not to mention, she was unable to concentrate on her track and field finals and the shot-put throw for which she had qualified,” Kari shared.
Instances of discrimination and verbal abuse like this underscore the need for creating a more inclusive and accepting environment for all participants in sports and other activities. It is essential to address such incidents and support the affected individuals to ensure their well-being and prevent future occurrences.
