Page 39 of Full Split
By the time we’re done, all that’s left is the optional team dinner with the athletes, coaches, and parents. And speaking of Wyatt, it’ll be the first time I’ve seen him since he was trying to avoid me again this morning. I’ve been too busy to stew over everything. But now?
Now I can’t stop thinking about last night. I wonder if we’re going to talk about it.
Or if I should try to sneak into his room again tonight.
ME: Are you awake?
DADDY: Yeah, but why are you?
ME: I was thinking about last night.
DADDY: Me too.
My heart skips a beat, but I’m too drained from the day to think of anything clever. I kind of want to ask if I can come over and lick him from head to toe, but we should probably talk about things before we dive too far into the deep end.See? I can be mature.
Not mature enough to change Wyatt’s name in my contacts, but mature enough to know that jumping his bones probably won’t help anything right now.
DADDY: Are you okay?
DADDY: With everything, I mean. I know tonight was a lot.
ME: Just tired. This Peter thing is… Yeah, a lot.
DADDY: Well, if you’re right about him, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about him anymore.
ME:
Is it messed up that I’m hoping for a fellow athlete to get kicked off the team? I felt a little guilty wishing he would just go away yesterday, but after today, I’m done. There’s no way I want to be on a team with that guy.
And it’s not like he’s the only close-minded person here. Shelby Green told everyone tonight that she’s a “proud Christian” and believes everyone is worthy of God’s love, but she “just doesn’t get the big deal about getting rid of DEI.” She actually said that if someone didn’t want to hire her because of her lifestyle choices—yes, she actually said that—then she wouldn’t want to work there anyway. Apparently, discrimination is a myth now.
I spent most of that conversation either staring open-mouthed or burying my face in my palms. I decided not to engage. I’m too tired to educate the willfully ignorant.
Then Peter opened his self-important trap and started talking. He went off on Shelby about how important diversity and inclusion are, even educating her about protections that were considered part of DEI that she didn’t know about. Like equal pay and accommodations for disabilities, because we all know how Shelby loves to post pictures of herself pushing her wheelchair-bound cousin through the finish line of the many charity races she’s completed.
Then, when the conversation devolved into her asking why we need a parade to tell people our personal business, he went on about Pride Month and how it’s not about what people do in the bedroom, it’s about keeping kids alive.
Full points for that. Solid, really. Except that he’s full of shit.
I seriously considered getting up and leaving right then and there. But Weston, bless him, turned in his seat and asked Peter how he dares talk about protecting LGBTQ+ youth when he’s spent the last several months throwing trans athletes under the bus.
Peter tried to sound reasonable. “Genetics matter,” he said. “In this one instance, precautions are necessary. Fair is fair.”
Fair is fair?
I really wanted to leave then, but Weston was just getting started. The only thing that kept my ass in that seat was the heavy hand that landed on my shoulder from my other side. Wyatt’s steady presence kept me rooted while I let Weston take a turn on the front lines of this never-ending battle.
Weston raised an eyebrow. “Is itfairthat transgender people make up less than two percent of the population, but this yearalone, nearly a thousand bills have been introduced to strip them of basic rights?”
“That’s not what we’re talking about,” Peter said.
“Oh, right. Athletes,” Weston said, holding up his hands as if to concede to reason. “Because trans people are people until they want to play sports… Do you know what percentage of college athletes are transgender?”
Weston answered before Peter could even open his mouth. “Less than .002%. What about at the Olympic-level? Don’t bother pulling your phone out, I’ve done the research for you, it’s .001%. Now tell me, Peter. What advantage could this tiny, tiny percentage of athletes have that you find so unfair?”
“Testosterone gives people, especially transgender women, an unfair advantage,” Peter said dumbly.
Weston leaned forward. “Ah, yes, testosterone. You are aware, are you not, that testosterone exists naturally in all human bodies at varying levels? There are cis women who naturally produce more testosterone than I do. Should they be banned from all athletic competitions?”
