Washington high school girl walks off starting line alone in protest of trans runner, ending her season

We've seen other girls cross country runners in Washington state walk off the start line in protest of having to compete against a boy, but Elise Bierer was the first to do it all by herself.It happened Wednesday during the Greater St.Helens League District Meet, where a runner for Camas High was competing as a girl after starting the year racing against the boys.

And when the gun went off for the women's varsity race, Bierer walked off the line toward her mother, Sheona, who embraced her tearful daughter.DAD BANNED FROM SCHOOL GROUNDS AFTER PROTESTING TRANS RUNNER COMPETING AGAINST HIS DAUGHTERCross country runner Elise Bierer broke down into tears after walking off the start line to protest having to race a boy running as a girl.(OutKick)This was certainly not how Elise, a sophomore at Battle Ground High, pictured her season ending when the school year began.

She was the second-fastest female cross country runner on her team, and almost certainly would have advanced to regionals had she participated Wednesday.But as her mom explained, Bierer had been anticipating a moment like this for a couple of years, and was prepared to stand — or more precisely, walk — on principle."Before she entered high school — she's a sophomore — I told her that it's a real possibility that this could come into play, that she might be forced to race against a male.When we talked about that, she said if that were to happen, she would stand up for what was right and just not compete," said Sheona Bierer, speaking for a daughter who didn't feel comfortable being interviewed.So two Tuesdays ago, when Battle Ground met Camas in a dual meet, Bierer and other teammates decided that they were simply not going to compete.

But there really wasn't a whole lot on the line in that race.This time, though, it was districts.

This time, a protest meant saying sayonara to her season.A CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER SWITCHED TO THE GIRLS TEAM MIDSEASON, PARENTS VOICE THEIR DISAPPROVAL AT MEET...