The recently named girls’ 200-meter Oregon state champion, Aayden Gallagher, a trans-identifying girl, was booed to the finish line last week, distracting people from the real issue. 

Gallagher competed in the 200-meter and 400-meter races, winning the 200-meter title and recording one of the fastest times in the state for a girl. 

The problem is that Gallagher is not a girl — he’s a biological male who was allowed by the Oregon School Activities Association to compete in the girls’ championship. The association only requires participants to verbally identify as female, giving Gallagher access to the girls’ division. 

This is an injustice — not just to the girls who participated in the championships, but to Gallagher as well. 

It might be easy to focus on trans-identifying athletes such as Gallagher, but the reality is that the 10th grader is probably not contriving to destroy female athletics. Rather, this is a student who is being exploited and used by activists in a culture war they know they are losing.

In an article by OutSport defending Gallagher, writer Cyd Zeigler argued those outraged at Gallagher’s participation should direct their attention toward the OSAA, not the high school student. There is some truth to that. The OSAA should be held accountable for the damage it has done to female athletics.  

But really, our outrage should be directed toward those whom OSAA’s policy actually affects: the girls who were forced to race against — and lose to — a biological male. 

The OSAA policy states, “The OSAA endeavors to allow students to participate for the athletic or activity program of their consistently asserted gender identity while providing a fair and safe environment for all students… rules such as this one promote harmony and fair competition.”

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The hypocrisy of this policy is the real issue. A “fair and safe” environment and competition is impossible when biological males are allowed to infiltrate female spaces and events. There is an undeniable advantage in sporting events for men, and that does not change with gender identity. 

Fairness in female athletics begins with the policies. Gallagher may not be responsible for those policies, but he certainly benefited from them — at the cost of women’s rights and opportunities.