Trans high school athlete, 16, whines about being booed after crushing female rivals in Washington State Championships: ‘Give us respect and be nice’

Transgender High school athlete Veronica Garcia, 16, was disappointed that fellow runners didn’t cheer when she was awarded the gold medal at the state track and field championships last month.

“I think maybe I expected good sportsmanship because I was cheering the rest of them on when they were called. So I guess I expected that to be answered,” Garcia, formerly Antonio Brown, told the newspaper Spokesman. ‘I did not understand.’

She told the outlet that the mockery she received during the championship match in Tacoma, Washington, was “a little bit more intense” than normal, and a voice from the crowd even shouted, “She’s not a girl!” while Garcia went to collect her medal.

The crowd’s reaction wasn’t a surprise, according to Garcia, but she was “somewhat hurt” by the coldness of her peers, for whom she cheered during and after their races.

As she walked to the podium to collect her gold, the crowd was silent and her peers would not acknowledge her as they stood with their hands clasped behind their backs.

Washington State runner Veronica Garcia, aka Davina Brown, aka Donovan Brown, won at state championships last month. The athlete is pictured here at an event in April

Garcia said she hoped to see more sportsmanship from her peers, who did not applaud her when she accepted the gold medal at the state championships in Washington.

Garcia is one of several high school athletes currently at the center of the debate over biological males competing in women’s sports.

The high school student began transitioning last year and says she has since “got a taste of how tough we can be as a species, for no reason other than to be a little different.”

She said she has been bullied by people who have made “discriminatory comments” towards her, some of which the spokesperson said invalidated her identity as a woman.

While she admits there are “no easy answers” when it comes to the issue of biological males competing with females, she said she wishes people with complaints wouldn’t yell at her.

‘I’m only a teenager. It’s one thing if you want to advocate for something, but your message disappears when you start insulting. Once you start harassing trans people, I think your message starts to fall apart.

“At least give us respect because I think the best thing anyone can do is, even if you don’t understand why we’re transgender, the least you can do is be nice to us. Kindness goes a long way,” she said.

During the final race of the season, Garcia finished with a time of 55.75 – a full second ahead of the first biological female runner.

Although there were cheers as the competitors crossed the finish line, the boos and jeers were not clearly heard until Garcia, an 11th grader, climbed the podium.

Lauren Matthew of the West Valley School District, who placed second in the race, did not have the strength to keep up with Garcia and crossed the finish line a full second behind her with a time of 56.75.

But if Garcia, who was born male, had run in the equivalent boys’ race, she wouldn’t even have finished 16th – with the slowest boy finished at 53.12 – more than 2.5 seconds ahead of Garcia’s time.

When the host announced Matthew’s name, all the girls clapped and cheered for her respectable second place.

Veronica Garcia came in first place with a time of 55.75. If she – a biological male – had raced boys, she wouldn’t even have finished in the top 16

But when first place was awarded to Garcia, there was near silence in the stadium.

Her fellow runners stood on the podium in complete silence with their hands behind their backs.

In a clear sign of disapproval, there was a stunned silence in the crowd until Veronica’s name was heard shouting, to which she gave a thumbs up.

It’s the latest in a string of victories for Garcia, who appears to be performing much better than when she competed on the boys’ team.

Last month, she finished 13th in a field of 152 girls at the Washington State 2A Championships after a cross country meet.

But last year, Garcia could only reach 164th out of 172 in the boys’ 5,000 meters at a regional championship held in the fall.

Public schools in Washington state specify that all students participating in physical education and athletics can participate in the category that corresponds to their gender identity without having to provide proof of medical transition.

When Garcia took the stage, there was no applause for her. There was only cheering and her fellow runners – all biological females standing with their hands behind their backs

Following Garcia’s victory, Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer who has campaigned against allowing trans athletes to compete in women’s sports, took to social media

After Garcia’s win Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer who campaigns against allowing trans athletes to compete in women’s sports, took to social media and posted a video of the race.

“Look at that… what never happens has happened again.

“Veronica Garcia (Donovan Brown) just won the Washington State Girls 400 Meter Championship with total dominance.”

Gaines became an activist after being tied up for fifth place with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas during a swimming meet in 2022. However, Thomas was presented with the trophy and celebrated, although officials were unable to provide Gaines with a convincing explanation as to what was happening or why.

The Kentucky swimmer has since joined forces with a dozen college athletes filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday, accuses it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing Thomas to participate in the competition.