A transgender teen athlete Aayden Gallagher faced boos as she crossed the finish line in the 400m race at the Oregon State Championships. She achieved her impressive performance on Friday with a time of 55.25 seconds. It secured her a spot in the final, scheduled for Saturday.
Gallagher’s time placed her in one of the five qualifying spots across two heats. She came second overall behind Josie Donelson, who narrowly beat her with a time of 55.04 seconds. Sophie Castaneda finished third overall with a time of 55.65 seconds.
A video shared online captured the moment Gallagher crossed the finish line, with jeers audible in the background. Her participation has been a point of controversy, particularly among Republican lawmakers. They have called for changes to the regulations following her previous race victories.
The Oregon State Activities Association (OSAA) currently allows athletes to compete in categories that align with their gender identity without requiring proof of medical transition. This inclusive policy has sparked debate, particularly after footage of Gallagher’s recent race was shared by Riley Gaines. She is a former NCAA swimmer known for opposing the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Gaines became an outspoken critic of transgender participation in women’s sports after tying for fifth place with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. She shared a video of Gallagher’s race, claiming Gallagher “dominated” her heat. She questioned: “When will we see coaches and parents standing up to this mockery?”
Gaines has since joined forces with other college athletes to file a lawsuit against the NCAA, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender athletes like Thomas to compete.
OSAA’s executive director Peter Weber has defended the organization’s policy on inclusivity. In a letter addressing critics, he emphasized that Oregon law has long prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation, which includes gender identity.
He stated: “Oregon law has long prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In 2019, the Oregon Department of Education amended its rules that ‘sexual orientation’ was defined to include ‘gender identity.’ The Oregon legislature likewise amended the definition of ‘sexual orientation’ to include ‘gender identity.'”
