Dan Slavin, a California construction subcontractor, found himself unexpectedly navigating the complex landscape of transgender inclusion in sports when a transgender athlete joined his daughter Kaitlyn’s cross-country team at Martin Luther King High School. Slavin and other parents immediately voiced concerns to the school regarding locker room safety and fairness in competition, but received a muted response, leaving them feeling unheard and dismissed. Driven by a desire to provide Kaitlyn with the character-building benefits of sports, Slavin was nonetheless apprehensive about the implications of a biological male sharing spaces traditionally designated for female athletes. This apprehension was rooted in traditional understandings of gender and biological differences, not necessarily animosity towards the transgender individual. The incident highlighted the emerging clash between established norms and evolving societal understandings of gender identity and inclusion.
California’s progressive stance on transgender rights, championed by Governor Gavin Newsom, further complicated the situation. State law mandated the inclusion of transgender athletes in girls’ sports, leaving schools with limited options. Newsom’s veto of a bill requiring parental notification about transgender athletes on school teams, coupled with the signing of the SAFETY Act, which prohibits teachers from disclosing a transgender student’s biological sex to parents or students, underscores the state’s commitment to protecting transgender rights. Slavin expressed a desire for dialogue with Governor Newsom, hoping to bridge the gap between protecting transgender individuals and addressing the concerns of parents and cisgender female athletes. He believes the current policy, while well-intentioned, neglects the impact on other students and potentially creates an uneven playing field.
The impact of the state’s inclusion policy became acutely personal when Kaitlyn’s teammate and co-captain, Taylor, lost her varsity spot to the transgender athlete. This loss deeply affected Taylor and her teammates, raising questions about fairness and the potential displacement of cisgender female athletes. Kaitlyn, Taylor, and several other teammates, motivated by a sense of injustice, decided to take a stand. Inspired by similar actions across the nation, they designed and wore T-shirts bearing the slogan “Save Girls Sports” to express their concerns. This simple act, however, ignited a significant controversy within the school.
The school administration’s response to the T-shirts escalated the situation dramatically. According to a lawsuit filed by the families of Kaitlyn and Taylor, school administrators allegedly compared the “Save Girls Sports” message to swastikas, equating the advocacy for girls’ sports with a symbol of hate and genocide. This comparison shocked and angered Slavin, who found the analogy deeply offensive and inappropriate. The lawsuit alleges that the school’s reaction violated the girls’ free speech rights and created a hostile environment. The comparison of the shirts to swastikas became a focal point of the controversy, drawing widespread condemnation and further polarizing the debate.
The administration’s reaction, rather than silencing the students, sparked a larger protest. Hundreds of students at Martin Luther King High School, and eventually students at surrounding schools, joined the movement, donning the “Save Girls Sports” T-shirts every Wednesday. The school’s attempt to quell the protest through a dress code and detentions proved ineffective, demonstrating the students’ resolve. The escalating student involvement forced the school to eventually back down and cease enforcing the dress code related to the shirts. The incident became a stark example of student activism pushing back against perceived administrative overreach.
For Slavin, witnessing his daughter’s activism on this issue has become a source of pride, even as it has drawn criticism and backlash from transgender inclusion advocates online. He emphasizes that the movement is not about hate or exclusion but about fairness and preserving opportunities for female athletes. The incident has propelled the Slavin family into the spotlight of a national debate, transforming them into advocates for policy change. They are now committed to continuing the fight, planning to voice their concerns at a school board meeting and potentially incorporating the issue into the 2026 California gubernatorial election platform. Slavin’s goal is systemic change, urging acknowledgment of the perceived flaws in current policies and a commitment to finding solutions that balance the needs of all students. He believes a compromise can be achieved that both protects transgender athletes and addresses the concerns of cisgender female athletes.
