Trans High School Runner Becomes State Champion, Faces Boos from the Crowd
Aayden Gallagher became the Oregon Girls’ 6A 200-meter state champion on Saturday, May 18
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Stock image of high school runnersA transgender high school runner was booed after winning a girls' state championship.
According to the New York Post, Aayden Gallagher was met with boos as they became the Oregon Girls’ 6A 200-meter state champion during the Oregon School Activities Association track-and-field championship on Saturday, May 18.
A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, by swimmer Riley Gaines shows the McDaniel High School sophomore being booed while crossing the finishing line ahead of Roosevelt High School sophomore Aster Jones.
Gallagher beat Jones with a time of 23.82, with Jones finishing closely behind at 24.02, per The Washington Times.
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The boos were just as prevalent in a second video shared by Gaines, which showed Gallagher being announced as the winner while standing at a podium.
It was Gallagher's second major achievement of the weekend after placing second to Lake Oswego High School senior Josie Donelson in the 400-meter race. Gallagher lost by less than a second, ending with a time of 52.98, while Donelson ended with a time of 52.83, per The Washington Times.
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The Oregon School Activities Association allows 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."
"As with Rule 8.2 regarding Duration of Eligibility / Graduation, rules such as this one promotes harmony and fair competition among member schools by maintaining equality of eligibility and increase the number of students who will have an opportunity to participate in interscholastic activities," an excerpt from their handbook reads.
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Noting that the policy was "developed in consultation with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE)," it adds that the "OSAA recognizes that this policy will need to be reviewed on a regular basis based on improved understanding of gender identity and expression, evolving law, and societal norms."
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