Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal spoke in defense of transgender athletes in girls sports in an address Thursday, claiming it was “inaccurate” to say there are only two genders. 

“It is quite simply inaccurate to say, biologically, that there are only boys and there are only girls,” Reykdal said.

“There’s a continuum. There’s a science to this. There are children who are born intersex. There are children whose hormones and whose chromosomes are not consistent with their sex at birth.”

“That’s not a debate we’re going to have today. I just want to remind you of our civil rights obligations. Our state laws make clear that children get to identify and participate based on the gender in which they identify. We’re going to uphold that law.”

Reykdal served three terms as a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 22nd district.