In Texas, a 17-year-old girl who identifies as a boy is taking testosterone supplements as she begins to “transition” to being male. (She currently identifies as a boy named “Mack” Beggs and is referred to as “he” in a relevant article about her.) She is in the news because she wrestles on the girls’ team and just won a tournament when her opponent in the finals forfeited because the other girl’s parents protested the match. Complete Article
Beggs is taking performance enhancing drugs, and in a physically-taxing sport like wrestling, the differences are all the more t
angible. That’s why the lawsuit brought by the parents’ of another female wrestler urged the governing body to suspend Beggs “because of the use of the steroid.
The Texas Education Code and UIL rules prevent steroid use, but the code has a “safe harbor” provision that allows a student to use steroids if they are “dispensed, prescribed, delivered and administered by a medical practitioner for a valid medical purpose.” Complete Article
The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, which is home to 230 schools in the state, also has a policy stating students will compete under the gender listed on their birth certificate. TAPPS only has wrestling for boys, and it specifically prohibits girls from participating.