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River City student Brooke White honored for state track performance and LGBTQ allyship; Gender Health Club outlines Pride activities
Summary
Board recognized River City High senior Brooke White for athletic achievements and allyship during Pride Month. Gender Health Club advisor and club leader described the club's history, drag show fundraiser and efforts to support transgender and nonbinary students on campus.
Washington Unified trustees recognized River City High School senior and track athlete Brooke White at their June 12 meeting for her silver‑medal performance at the state track finals and for her public allyship during a national controversy over transgender athletes.
Board President and trustees praised White for sportsmanship and community leadership. White told the board she had been surprised by the national attention and by how people’s reactions to the controversy affected athletes. “It made me really emotional seeing how people could be so hateful to a 16 year old girl,” she said. White said meeting and talking with trans athlete Amy Hernandez “inspired me to speak up even more” and urged the district to take inspiration from how event organizers paused competition to address hate speech.
Trustees also welcomed advisor Andrew (Andy) Hook and River City Productions’ Chris Hanks to highlight the River City High Gender Health Club and its annual drag show. Hook, the club adviser since 2017, described the club’s origin—started by a trans youth seeking a safe, educational space for trans and non‑gender‑conforming students—and its growth into a central campus group that provides classroom outreach, bathroom access advocacy and visibility work. Hook said the club’s drag show has run three years and that proceeds support nonprofits chosen by students, noting the club marched in the Sacramento Pride Parade and donated proceeds to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund and the Sacramento LGBT Center in recent years.
The board and community members thanked the students and advisers for cultivating inclusive school culture. Several trustees called White’s recognition an example of the district’s portrait of a graduate—empathy, collaboration and responsible citizenship—and encouraged continued district support for clubs and events that promote student safety and inclusion.
Why it matters: the recognition and the Gender Health Club presentation highlighted district policies and on‑campus practices around inclusion, student safety and extracurricular programming amid a larger public debate about transgender athletes in sport. The club’s activities—including a drag show and public outreach—were presented as student‑led efforts to build community and fundraise for civil‑rights nonprofits.
