16-year-old runner forced to remove ‘Save Girls’ Sports’ shirt after losing spot to trans athlete, compared to a Nazi by AD

Taylor Starling is a 16-year-old high school runner who attends Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California. Despite her rigorous training and dedication, last October, Starling lost her spot on the varsity cross-country team to a transgender athlete — a biological male posing as a female.

While Starling eventually regained her spot on the team by outperforming her male competitor, the controversy is still burning strong.

Shortly following her displacement, Starling, alongside another teammate, filed a federal lawsuit against the Riverside Unified School District in November 2024, alleging violations of Title IX.

The scandal escalated when Starling and another teammate wore "Save Girls’ Sports” T-shirts to practice, which reportedly resulted in school officials comparing the slogan to swastikas and claiming the girls created a hostile environment. Apparently the athletic director even required that they remove their shirts or face discipline.

Last month, Starling spoke at the California State Assembly in support of bills that ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports. The Democratic majority rejected them. However, there’s still hope for Starling to win her lawsuit, which has a court date of May 15, 2025.

Pat Gray plays a clip of Starling’s speech to the California State Assembly.

“My name is Taylor Starling. I'm 16 years old, and I attend Martin Luther King High School. I have a 4.0 GPA, serve as vice president of my junior class, volunteer with National Women's Charity League, and lead as captain of my school's cross-country and track and field teams,” she began. “I was removed from my varsity girls' team and replaced by a newly eligible male transfer student who received favorable treatment.”

Starling went on to describe the time and dedication she put into training for a varsity position — including “[working] every day during the summer” and “waking up at 5:00 a.m. to attend morning practices and staying at school until 4:45 each day.”

Starling also described the double standards she witnessed — “He did not have to attend practice while my team and I were running seven miles a day together.”

“Our athletic director made me remove my [Save Girls’ Sports] shirt and told me it was like wearing a swastika in front of a Jewish person and said that I would face disciplinary action if I wore it again,” she continued. “My Title IX and free speech rights as a female matter too. Why are girls being told that we must sit down and be quiet while boys unfairly get ahead of us in life?”

“Wow, good stuff,” says Pat.

To hear more of the panel’s commentary as well as more wild transgender stories, watch the clip above.

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