This weekend, Mack Beggs made history for being the first transgender wrestling champion of Texas. Beggs identifies as male but was forced to wrestle in the girl’s division even when he requested to wrestle against boys. According to the guidelines outlined by UIL, or the University Interscholastic League (UIL), the organization that oversees rules regarding Texas competition in various fields like arts and sports, an athlete’s gender was defined by the one marked on their birth certificate. Beggs’ competitors were uncomfortable with him competing in the girl’s division because he had been public on social media about his use of testosterone injections for his transition, and others have cited his usage as being an “unfair advantage”.
However, this prompts the question of who is at fault? Though the spotlight is being shined on Mack Beggs, he and his family had explicitly stated his desire to compete and didn’t want him to compete in the girl’s division and would have made the accommodations necessary for him to compete in the boy’s division. Some critics have stated Beggs should not have competed knowing he had an advantage and may have posed a danger to his competitors but why should his interest be stifled because of UIL outdated rules?
Additionally, Beggs’ win comes at a time where transgender people are being highlighted in the news. On February 22nd, Trump administration removed the policy that would protect transgender students at schools by allowing them to use the bathroom that they had identified with. It also stated that these policies would be decided on a state level instead of federal. Transgender students already face discriminations and bullying within schools but the removal of this protection policy only opens the gate to more bullying. By Trump and his administration reversing this policy, they make it okay on a political level to hinder the rights of transgender people.
Tying both of these events together, equality for transgender people seems shaky at the moment. This policy imposed by UIL that didn’t allow Beggs from competing in the boy’s division was just recently implemented last year. Furthermore, “95 percent of Texas superintendents voted in favor of this amendment to the constitution of the University Interscholastic League, that requires student athletes to compete as the gender listed on their birth certificate” If transgender students’ bathroom policies are also decided on the state level now, it is unfair for one state to have more rights than another state. UIL rules need to be updated not only for Mack Beggs but for other transgender student-athletes that are confused on what they should do and to reduce the amount of hate and media spotlight for their decision to participate in a sport.
Beggs’ win shouldn’t be discredited with the lack of clarity on guidelines created by UIL. So, congratulation to Mack Beggs and hopefully this event will draw more attention to the need for updated and clearer policies for transgender students throughout the United States.
