A high school track championship in Eugene, Oregon, became the center stage for the intensifying national debate over transgender athletes in school sports. McDaniel High School sophomore Aayden Gallagher was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd as she secured victory in the 200-meter race at the state championship event. Videos circulating on social media captured the audience’s reaction as Gallagher crossed the finish line and later when she was awarded the gold medal, underscoring a deeply divisive issue within the realm of high school athletics and beyond.
The incident has sparked a firestorm on social media platforms, where opinions on Gallagher’s participation were sharply divided. Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has spoken against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, reacted to the event with sarcasm, “Another proud moment for women’s sports! Aayden Gallagher (male) just placed 1st in the Oregon state championship in the women’s 200m… Just listen to the audible BOOS. People are over this…& it’s about time.” The sentiment was echoed by social media account Libs of TikTok, which criticized the victory and aligned with the discontent expressed by some audience members.
The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA), which governs high school athletics in the state, maintains a policy that permits students to compete in accordance with their consistently asserted gender identity. The policy does not mandate transgender athletes to undergo transition-related medical care to compete, an approach that has come under scrutiny from various angles. While Oregon does not prohibit transgender students from participating in sports aligning with their gender identity, the issue remains contentious, with 12 Republican state lawmakers recently condemning the OSAA policy, spurred on by Gallagher’s involvement.
Amidst the criticism, advocates for LGBTQ rights have stood firm in their support of transgender athletes. Cyd Zeigler, founder of LGBTQ sports site Outsports, defended Gallagher’s right to compete, stating that conservatives calling her a ‘cheater’ and implying she switched gender to win in girls’ sports were propagating harmful rhetoric. Zeigler emphasized, “This is the kind of stuff that causes kids to hurt themselves.”
The broader conversation is set against a backdrop where, according to a 2023 Gallup poll, a majority of Americans hold the view that transgender athletes should compete on teams that correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth. Nationwide, half of U.S. states have legislated bans against transgender students competing on teams that reflect their gender identity, though some of these laws are currently facing legal injunctions.
Zeigler also noted that Gallagher did not break any rules in participating in the girls’ track race, as her participation is allowed under OSAA guidelines.
“The criticism is misdirected,” Zeigler said of those taking issue with Gallagher’s participation. “Their real problem is with the rulemakers, not this kid.”
Relevant articles:
– Transgender teen booed after winning girls’ track race at state championship, NBC News, 05/22/2024
– Transgender High School Runner Booed After Winning Girls’ State Title, TMZ, 05/20/2024
– Transgender high school runner in Oregon booed after winning girls’ state title, New York Post, 05/19/2024
– Transgender high school runner in Oregon hears boos from crowd after winning girls’ 200-meter state title, Fox News, 05/19/2024
– Transgender high school runner booed while winning Oregon state title, Toronto Sun, 05/20/2024
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