Eighth-grade robotics student Laker Jackson, who attends Eastmark High School in Mesa, Arizona, has ignited a firestorm. The issue at hand? School athletics and transgender rights. Excited to join his school’s boys’ basketball team, Laker was instead barred from trying out due to an issue with his birth certificate. The incident has ignited a national debate over school policies related to gender identity and participation in sports.
Laker, a biological male, was forced to play on the girls’ basketball team. This decision came on the heels of a second, failed attempt at issuing his original long-form birth certificate. His parent filed to have his birth records reissued just one day before basketball tryouts. They accompanied this with a medical certificate attesting to the person’s change of gender. The Queen Creek Unified School District (QCUSD) is not backing down from their policy. They retain a student’s assignment birth certificate from the day of birth to determine sports eligibility.
“In this particular case, the student has been enrolled in QCUSD since elementary school and has been registered as a biological female throughout their time in our district,” stated the QCUSD. The school district looks forward to working with Laker’s family. So far, no answer.
The debate over Laker’s eligibility was part of a national debate on the participation of transgender athletes in school sports. Arizona is among at least 27 states that have implemented restrictions or bans on transgender athletes participating in sports that align with their gender identity. Laker’s case comes at a time of rising pressure from elected Republican leaders to implement such policies.
Though the challenges of this birth certificate conundrum have him all but defeated, Laker is optimistic. He shared his enthusiasm for basketball, stating, “I like the team aspect of the sport a lot.” He discussed his love for wrestling and football, highlighting his commitment to sports and competition.
Laker’s mother, Becky Jackson, commented on the ongoing situation, noting that the possibility of changing Laker’s classification might depend on undergoing chromosomal testing, a process that can be costly, ranging from $100 to more than $2,000.
Now they don’t have to pay for it, but if we do get chromosomal testing, maybe they will have to. They didn’t say they would. It says they may,” she reflected. The Laker family has dealt with a birth certificate mix-up without any significant repercussions. Rather than making it a life-or-death situation, they’re usually joking and finding humor in the situation.