Mack Beggs a 17 year old junior who lives in the North Dallas suburbs has won his regional wrestling tournament and is advancing to the state tournament. You may ask why a trans boy taking hormones is competing in the girls tournament. Well he has to by Texas UIL policy which requires students to compete as the gender of their birth.
The Texas policy is counter to both NCAA and International Olympic Committee rules which both have non-controversial policies that transgender males are free to compete in men’s athletics. The reason they are non-controversial is clear. Mack Beggs is currently undefeated with a 56-0 record. His final two opponents in the 110 pound class forfeited their matches and stated they did so on the basis of concern of being injured. Mack has been under hormone treatment for a year with the support of his grandmother. If he were competing against other boys those boys would have an average of four years of development with male hormones. He’d be the one at a physical disadvantage.
The issue has already spawned one lawsuit against the state by another wrestler’s parent for the state allowing a child taking male hormone treatment to compete. Beggs in fact attempted to compete as a boy but was stymied by two policies. One is you must compete as the gender of your birth and the second that boys cannot wrestle girls. State policy also allows exceptions for the use of steroids or hormones if done by prescription for a non sport related medical reason.
In other words a trans boy taking hormones can only compete against girls in Texas. This is one of the first real life examples of the absurdity of the “what you were born as” policies as promoted by the Republicans in the State of Texas. Sports have typically had a hard time dealing with trans female athletes who are accused of having a competitive advantage having been born male. This issue is apparently new.
In light of the new bathroom law proposed in Texas it also foreshadows a problem if that law passes and is followed. What happens when trans men who present as and look male follow the law and go into the women’s restroom?