Girl, 9, Left ‘Shaking and Sobbing’ After Man Accused Her of Being Transgender at Track Meet

A 9-year-old Canadian girl was verbally attacked and accused of being transgender at a school track and field event last week.

Heidi Starr’s young daughter was left “visibly shaking and sobbing” after the grandfather of another student interrupted a shot put event by yelling at her and accusing her of being transgender during the track and field meet for elementary students held at Kelowna’s Apple Bowl.

“She was standing in line and all of a sudden, this man comes out of the crowd. He stops the entire event and says ‘This is a girl’s event, why are boys allowed to throw,’” Starr told The Post on Tuesday.

The man began pointing at Starr’s daughter, a cisgender 9-year-old girl, loudly proclaiming, “But there are boys playing. Why are boys allowed to throw.”

From the stands, Starr shouted back that her daughter, who has a short, pixie-style haircut, is in fact, a girl.

“He replied, she’s a girl, using air quotes,” Starr recalled, adding that the man was also yelling and pointing at another girl who also had a short haircut.

“If she’s not a boy, she is obviously trans,” he said, according to Starr.

The man’s wife eventually chimed in, accusing the parents of being “genital mutilators, groomers and pedophiles.”

They then demanded Starrs provide certification to prove that her daughter was born female.

Thursday’s incident left Stasr’s daughter, who she is not publicly naming, “visibly shaking and sobbing.” The horrifying situation was first reported by local news outlet Castanet.

Starr says her daughter has been shielded from such outright hatred toward the LGBTQ+ community as she was raised by two lesbian mothers and knows many LBGTQ+ people, including transgender people.

“And she’s cis-gendered. There’s no reason that she would be the target of anti-trans hate,” Starr said.

The fired-up mother said she hopes the situation helps people see “how awful and how extreme” the anti-trans rhetoric has become and that it empowers people to “not be silent when they see anti-queer and anti-trans actions” and will stand up against it.

“This is proof that this has nothing to do with protecting children,” Starr added.

While the situation was traumatizing, Starr says her daughter has received an outpouring of love from the community as a result.

The young athlete told her mother she had one thing to share with the world: “I want them to know that I probably would have placed if that man hadn’t yelled at me.”

Kevin Kaardal, the Superintendent and CEO of Central Okanagan Public Schools, said in a statement provided to The Post that necessary actions were being taken to ban the man from any district property or events.

“Staff at the event responded and intervened at the time, eventually moving the event across the field,” Kaardal said.

“The entire school community that surrounds the student has shown tremendous allyship and concern for their wellbeing following the incident and we will continue to check in and ensure supports are available to anyone affected by the incident.”

Kelowna RCMP confirmed to The Post that Starr filed a report with the agency and they’re “actively investigating these allegations.”

Original Article