The soccer fields at Bow High School on Tuesday evening seemed ordinary at first — players from Bow and Milford’s varsity girls’ teams warming up, while parents arranged their chairs along the sidelines.

But as game time approached, spectators began filtering in wearing bright pink armbands marked with “XX” symbolizing female chromosomes.

These weren’t parents there to cheer for their children. Instead, they had come from across the state to protest the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ sports teams and to defend what they described as their right to free speech.

Among them was Bethany Harrington, a Hillsboro-Deering resident clad in a pink t-shirt and the unmistakable armband. For her, the protest was about safeguarding what she saw as fairness and safety.

“It’s really about trespassing orders and not allowing the parents to communicate,” said Harrington. “Why can’t I just say I don’t agree, what’s wrong with it?”

Last Friday, Bow High School issued no-trespass orders to two parents who wore pink armbands emblazoned with “XX” during a girls’ soccer match between Bow and Plymouth Regional High  School.

On Plymouth’s team was Parker Tirrell, a 15-year-old transgender girl.

School officials sent letters that issued no-trespass orders to the parents saying they “participated and led the protest, which was designed to and had the effect of, intimidating, threatening, harassing, and discouraging” a player from the opposing team.

For those protesting, the concern centered on what they viewed as an unfair advantage that transgender girls — biologically born male — might have due to hormonal differences and the potential for injury during competitive play.

“Should I not protect them? I should cower?” asked Harrington. 

The issue gained heightened attention after the recent law signed by Gov. Chris Sununu, which prohibits students assigned male at birth from competing on female sports teams in grades 5 through 12.

Even last year, Tirrell played in the girls’ soccer team without incident. So did a transgender girl who is a goalie for the Kearsarge Regional High School.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the ban for Tirrell, extending the order to allow her to play this year while a case filed against the state by Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, a 14-year-old transgender girl from Pembroke, continues to unfold.

Meanwhile, the Kearsarge school district has decided to allow transgender girls to compete on girls’ sports teams, standing in defiance of the state law.

When asked about the Attorney General’s plans to take action against the Kearsarge school district or how the ban will be enforced, Michael Garrity, spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office, said, “We would warn that the law remains in effect statewide at this time and that it provides for a private right action for persons aggrieved by violations of the law. Beyond that, we have no additional comment at this time.”

Tuesday was different. Residents rallied to the game from across the state, many seeking to contest the school district’s treatment of the parents involved in the protest. Some attendees with the pink armbands arrived merely to see whether the police would try to escort them away.

Jason Gerhard, a state representative from Northfield who ran in the Republican primary for Merrimack County Sheriff, wore a black t-shirt with the words “The Constitution Matters.” He planned to demonstrate that the school fields were public property and that constitutional rights — particularly free speech — shouldn’t be relinquished upon entry.

“I would like to be trespassed and I’m waiting for that order,” said Gerhard. “I would like to receive it in the mail with confidence. But the whole thing is I don’t think parents should be singled out because we’re here now violating their so-called phony rule.”

However, not everyone present opposed transgender girls participating in school sports.

“They’re high school kids — let them play and let kids be kids,” said Kristine Kenerson, a Concord resident who often walks her dog, Maggie, by the fields. “If you want to see change, start at the top and allow kids to have fun. Sportsmanship also means showing appropriate behavior as adults.”

Meanwhile, the girls’ soccer game unfolded just a few yards away, seemingly untouched by the commotion. Only one police officer patrolled the area and no one was asked to leave.

Marcy Kelley, superintendent of the Bow and Dunbarton School District, said the difference in the police response between Tuesday and last week was that last week's protest targeted a specific student, Tirrell. But Tuesday's protest was directed at the school administration’s actions following parents' protests about transgender girls playing on girls' sports teams.

Anthony Foote, a Bow parent who had received a temporary no-trespass order from the school that expired Monday, watched the game with other parents who wore the distinguishing pink armbands.

Another Bow parent, Kyle Fellers, who was banned from entering any school district buildings, grounds or property for the entire fall sports season, was not on the fields.

A few individuals mentioned their plans to attend other games, quietly protesting by wearing pink armbands, particularly at games where transgender girls played.

The solution, according to Shaun Fife from Gilmanton, who filed as a candidate for governor earlier this year, is to create separate teams for transgender youth who want to play sports. He emphasizes that these teams should not be attached to schools and should function independently.

“It shouldn’t be tax resources from the town forming that because I don’t believe too many people in town don’t support it and they wouldn’t want to pay for it,” said Fife.

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmo nitor.com