Aayden Gallagher, a male high school athlete who identifies as a girl and runs in the girl’s division, placed second in two girls’ events at a recent track event.
Judging by his finishing times, had he raced on the boys’ side, he would have finished near the bottom of the pack.
Gallagher ran in the 200-meter and 400-meter at the Sherwood High School Need for Speed Classic in Oregon on Saturday. Video of Gallager leaving the field of girls in his wake made the rounds over the weekend, sparking outrage.
Gallagher finished the 200-meter in 25.49 and the 400-meter in 55.61 seconds. Had he posted those times in the boys division, he would have finished 61st out of 65 in the 200-meter and 46th out of 58 in the 400-meter.
In other words, he wouldn’t have made it anywhere near the awards podium.
Reaction flowed in as X users argued against Gallagher’s inclusion in the event and that the girls should have refused to compete in such an obviously unfair race.
A concerned parent called for change, noting that Gallagher’s finish would likely propel him to the Oregon state championships and, ultimately, take the spot of a deserving female runner.
Two dozen states have taken action to prevent males identifying as females from participating in girls’ sports. Sadly for the girls who raced against Gallagher, Oregon is not one of them.