VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A transgender boy recently made headlines for winning a high school wrestling title in Texas — against girls.
The 17-year-old was born female and despite transitioning to male, the state forced the teen to compete against the gender listed on their birth certificate.
Mack Beggs endured protests from people claiming it was an unfair advantage, but even though the teen wanted to wrestle against boys, he was forced to into the female category of the competition because of the policies in place in the state.
So what happens if a similar case were to arise in Metro Vancouver? “Any athlete can participate in the sport that is consistent with the gender they identify with,” says Jordan Abney, executive director of BC School Sports.
Abney adds we’re much more understanding here than some of our counterparts south of the border — especially in the southern states. “We have some stop gaps in place to ensure that it’s not being abused but generally speaking if there’s any real evidence to point that the athlete has a gender identity that’s different from their physical gender, then we would respect that.”
The policy, which has been in place for a few years, is in place not only for inclusiveness, but also from a health standpoint. “We’re trying to get as many athletes to compete as possible because we believe in the benefit of educational athletics, and want to do that in the most inclusive and safe environment that we can provide,” says Abney.
While instances like this aren’t common in BC high school sports, the province has shown a progressive understanding that should be encouraging for young transgender athletes.