DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — As a transgender wrestler from Euless Trinity High School competes in a state tournament this weekend, the lawyer who is suing the University Interscholastic League for allowing it to happen is speaking out.
Attorney Jim Baudhuin is the father of a girl wrestler in a different weight class as Mack Beggs, the 17-year-old girl transitioning to become a boy. Baudhuin says other parents contacted him saying they don’t believe it’s fair that Beggs competes against their daughters because of the steroids she is taking in order to make the gender transition.
“This girl is transitioning to a boy, she’s showing up, she looks like a boy, she’s got facial hair — this is unfair to the other girls,” Baudhuin said. “The UIL did nothing.”
Beggs has been taking the drugs for about a year and has said she would prefer to compete against boys, but a UIL rule doesn’t allow her to do that. The UIL does allow her, however, to compete against girls because of a rule that permits the drugs if they are prescribed for a “valid medical purpose.”
Baudhuin told WBAP and KLIF the issue has nothing to do with Beggs, but rather the institution for allowing competition to take place.
“We were disappointed at the UIL initially because starting about a year ago, clients of mine started sending information, online posts this athlete was posting, videos and photos of herself getting testosterone injections,” Baudhuin said. “Which, obviously you’re not supposed to do.”
The state tournament is Friday February 24 and Saturday February 25 in Cypress, Texas. Beggs won multiple matches in the preceding tournament because some of the wrestlers forfeit due to belief Beggs had a physical advantage having taken the steroids. She is undefeated with a record of 52-0.
In the lawsuit against the UIL, it claims allowing Beggs to compete puts other girls at an “imminent threat of bodily harm.”
“It’s cheating,” Baudhuin said. “So we just assumed, ‘Hey, this is somebody who’s transitioning. But given that she’s taking what’s obviously a performance enhancing drug, she should not be allowed to compete against girls.’”
