John L. Braese
WILSONVILLE – A state representative is one of six House Republicans asking the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) to disallow transgender student athletes from competing in girls’ sporting events.
Rep. E. Werner Reschke has joined Reps. Dwayne Yunker, Darin Harbick, Ed Diehl and Greg Smith on the letter citing the recent signing by President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting girls’ sports to females at birth. The NCAA also changed their ruling to meet the federal standards.
“The OSAA needs to immediately reverse its policy concerning boys competing in girl’s sports to protect the integrity of the sport and the dignity of female athletes,” Reschke said in a statement.
The letter is not the lone move made by Reschke. The La Pine representative is a co-sponsor of House Bill 2037, a bill requiring organizations like the OSAA at both the high school and collegiate levels to prohibit student athletes born male to participate in female sports. The bill also prohibits opposite sexes from entering the bathrooms or locker rooms of the opposite gender.
Even if approved by both the House and Senate, it is likely House Bill 2037 would not be signed by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and likely face a veto.
