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.
🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 🚨
— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) April 13, 2024
A trans-identified male just dominated the Girls 200m Varsity at the Sherwood Need for Speed Classic in Sherwood, Oregon.
Aayden Gallagher, a boy who "identifies" as a girl, set a new record after easily defeating his female competitors. pic.twitter.com/CWhVFeRXBP
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.
Why did those girls compete ? All they had to do was not step on to the track . Girls have the power to stop the clown show but aren’t doing so. I have no sympathy for them if they aren’t going to help themselves
— Munga (@surfer781) April 14, 2024
For girls' and women's sport, 2nd will become the new 1st place.
— Mark Neugebauer ✝️ Ephesians 6:12 ✝️ (@MarkNeugebaue13) April 13, 2024
At least until the athletes and their parents start boycotting en mass.
Gallagher's parents must be so proud! 🙄 pic.twitter.com/FzgsOAX8jg
— Slartibartfast (@Slarty247) April 13, 2024
All the parents who allowed their daughters to compete are complicit. This won’t end until mothers, fathers and girls refuse to partake.
— Watsername (@chronicparent) April 13, 2024
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.
We must demand a 3rd category in high school competitions, or races must be by biological gender. Anything else is a making a mockery of female athletics. We must not allow a boy to take a girl’s place as a participant in a state meet-and that is EXACTLY what is going to happen..
— Let_Oregon_Learn (@LetOregonLearn) April 13, 2024
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.
