A 17-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENDER BOY IN TEXAS HAS WON THE STATES
GIRLS WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP.
OF COURSE THE STORY IS RIDDLED WITH CONTROVERSY BECAUSE THE
STUDENT MACK BEGGS DID NOT WANT TO COMPETE WITH OTHER GIRLS, HE
WANTED TO COMPETE WITH BOYS BECAUSE HE IDENTIFIES AS A BOY.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, MACK BEGGS WAS BORN AS A FEMALE BUT
IDENTIFIES AS MALE AND IS IN CURRENTLY UNDERGOING
TESTOSTERONE TREATMENTS IN ORDER TO TRANSITION TO MAIL.
BEGGS HAS BEEN TRANSITIONING FROM FEMALE TO MALE BY
USING TESTOSTERONE THERAPY SINCE 2015
BUT HE IS ONLY ALLOWED TO WRESTLE GIRLS.
IN 2016,
THE UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE WHICH GOVERNS PUBLIC
SCHOOL ATHLETICS REQUIRES STUDENT ATHLETES TO COMPETE
ACCORDING TO THE GENDER ASSIGNED ON THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATE.
THE QUESTION IS IF HE IS TAKING TESTOSTERONE DOESN'T THAT
MEAN THAT HE IS TAKING A PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUG
THAT WOULD DISQUALIFY HIM FROM COMPETING.
NOT NECESSARILY.
UNDER THE RULES IN THE STATE OF A DOCTOR HAS PRESCRIBED
ANYTHING, STEROIDS OR TESTOSTERONE TO A STUDENT
BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL CONDITION THEN IT IS OKAY.
IT IS NOT
CONSIDERING A PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUG.
THE STORY GETS REALLY TRICKY BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH
HE WANTS TO COMPETE AGAINST OTHER MALES, AND HE IS NOT
ALLOWED TO DO SO, THERE IS NOW A PARENT WHO IS SUING TO
BASICALLY BAR HIM FROM COMPETING BECAUSE THE PARENT IS
CONCERNED THAT MACK BEGGS COULD HARM OTHER FEMALE COMPETITORS.
IN THE BEGINNING WHEN I FIRST READ THE HEADLINE I HAVE TO
CONFESS THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN MALE AND
WAS COMPETING WITH FEMALES AND I WAS LIKE THAT IS A LITTLE
TOUGH, I DONíT KNOW ABOUT THAT.
YOU CAN SAY I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT BUT BEING BORN MALE YOU DO
HAVE AN ADVANTAGE.
IN STRENGTH AND SIZE ON AVERAGE.
BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.
HE WAS BORN A GIRL BUT HE IS TRANSITIONING TO A BOY AND
HE IS LIKE GOOD, LET ME GO AGAINST BOYS.
HE WOULD THEORETICALLY HAVE A DISADVANTAGE.
LIKE NO, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO.
YOU NOT ALLOWED TO
COMPETE WITH BOYS BECAUSE YOU WERE BORN A GIRL.
HE IS LIKE OKAY, THAT SUCKS BUT I LOVE WRESTLING.
LET ME COMPETE AGAINST THE GIRLS.
AND THEY ARE LIKE SO UNFAIR.
OKAY, MAKE UP YOUR MIND.
WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO?
THE INTERESTING THING IS THE OFFICIALS IN THE EDUCATION WORLD
WHO MAKE UP THESE POLICIES, SUPERINTENDENTS WHO VOTED IN
FAVOR OF THIS KIND OF POLICY THINK YEAH, HE SHOULD COMPETE
WITH OTHER WOMEN OR GIRLS BECAUSE HE WAS BORN A GIRL.
THEY DON'T DENY THAT AT ALL BUT THE PARENTS ARE MAD BECAUSE
THE PARENTS ARE SAYING WHAT THE HELL?
THERE IS TESTOSTERONE AND STAIRWAYS INVOLVED.
THERE IS IN A VANTAGE HERE AND WHY IS SOMEONE WHO IDENTIFIES
AS A BOY COMPETING AGAINST GIRLS.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
LET'S GO TO GRAPHIC 30.
THIS IS INTERESTING.
KEEP IN MIND THAT MAC BEGGS IS IN A CERTAIN WEIGHT CLASS.
THATíS HOW WRESTLING WORKS.
IT'S THE 110 POUND WEIGHT CLASS THAT HE IS COMPETING IN.
TEXAS ATTORNEY AND WRESTLING PARENT JIM BALDWIN RECENTLY
SAID THE ORGANIZATION TO SUSPEND BAGS UNDER OVER HIS
TESTOSTERONE THERAPY.
HE SAID IT EXPOSES OTHER ATHLETES IMMINENT THREAT OF
BODILY HARM.
BUT HIS DAUGHTER IS NOT IN THE SAME WAY CLASSES BAGS.
I WOULD THROW THAT OUT FOR NO STANDING.
THEN I THOUGHT LOOK, THE KID IS TAKING TESTOSTERONE.
I
CAN SEE HOW THAT WOULD BE AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE.
IT MAY NOT BE ILLEGAL BUT IT STILL IS A PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING
DRUG EVEN IF IT IS PERMITTED UNDER THE RULES.
THAT'S RIGHT.
I GET THAT THAT SEEMS A LITTLE UNFAIR, BUT THE PARENT NOT IN
THE SAME WAY CLASS, YOU'VE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
YOUR CONCERN IS NOT ABOUT SAFETY TO YOUR DAUGHTER BECAUSE
THEY ARE NEVER GOING TO WRESTLE ONE ANOTHER THEY ARE IN A
DIFFERENT WEIGHT CLASS.
YOUR CONCERN IS POLITICAL.
YOU HAVE A LOT LESS INTEREST IN.
I'M WITH BEN, THAT'S AN EASY ONE TO FIND THE JUDGE.
YOU HAVE NO STANDING.
MOVEON GET A LIFE.
AND AS MAC BEGGS SAYS, NONE OF THE ACTUAL STUDENTS OBJECT.
IT'S ONLY THE PARENTS AND COACHES THAT ARE MAKING A
BIG DEAL OF IT.
THE REST OF US JUST WANT TO WRESTLE BECAUSE THAT'S
ALWAYS SIGNED UP OR NOT WE WANT TO DO AND INSTEAD THIS IS
BECOME A GIANT ISSUE WHERE HE IS IN A NO-WIN SITUATION.
THEN I THOUGHT ALWAYS THINKS YOU ON THE OTHER FOOT.
WHAT WOULD I DO, I HAVE A DAUGHTER.
IF SHE'S IN A WRESTLING SITUATION AND THIS IS A
THING, I WOULD PULL HER ASIDE AND SAY THEY WON'T LET THEM
COMPETE ON THEM INSIDE THAT HE'S TAKING TESTOSTERONE SO YOU
DREW THE SHORT STRAW TODAY.
GOOD LUCK.
GO GET HIM CON AT, TIGER.
DO YOUR BEST AND BY THE WAY, YOU DIDN'T JOB THE SHORT STRAW
NECESSARILY DODGES BECAUSE HE'S TAKING TESTOSTERONE DOESN'T
MEAN HE IS DEFINITELY GOING TO WIN.
HIS LITTLE BIT OF AN ADVANTAGE BUT YOU CAN OVERCOME THAT.
THAT IS LIFE, LET'S MOVE ON AND COMPETE