Texas GOP uses photo of trans man forced to compete against girls in 'boys competing with girls' mailer

A new TexasGOP mailer aimed at Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who is challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz for his senate seat, has come under fire for misrepresenting the story of Mack Beggs, a transgender man, to push an anti-transgender talking point. The mailer features a blurred image of Beggs, a former high school wrestler, with the text: “Colin Allred failed to protect women’s sports, supporting boys competing with girls.”

The problem with the bigoted attack? Beggs, 25, fought to compete with boys. According to the Houston Chronicle, Texas’s University Interscholastic League forced him to wrestle in the girls’ division because it mandates athletes compete based on their birth certificate gender. Beggs, who was undergoing hormone therapy at the time, repeatedly asked to wrestle boys, but the state refused, making him a target of public controversy when he won two state championships in 2017 and 2018.

Cruz and his allies have ramped up their criticism of Allred’s position on transgender athletes. A recent ad from the Cruz-aligned Super PAC, Truth and Courage PAC, depicts an actor resembling Allred tackling a teenage girl, seemingly alluding to his former NFL career. The spot, funded by the PAC, which has raised $8 million for Cruz’s reelection, reinforces the ongoing claim that Allred’s advocacy for transgender rights poses a threat to women’s sports, the Houston Chronicle reports.

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After seeing the mailer, Beggs said he was worried for his loved ones’ safety. “How they’re using my photo, it’s just very misleading. It’s not OK,” he told reporters, adding that he’s seeking legal advice from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Beggs elaborated on his thoughts in an Instagram post on Saturday. “I’ve been waiting to collect my thoughts on this situation,” Beggs wrote. “The Republican State of Texas Government has decided to USE my image for yet again one of their political campaigns. I have already had a few people let me know about this campaign ad paid for and by the Republican Party in TX. NOT COOL. The fact they are STILL using my story and FACE for their political agendas. It’s sickening at this point.”

Last year, Allred voted against a bill that would bar trans women from competing in women’s sports, which Cruz has repeatedly used as a wedge issue. Recently, former Wyoming Republican U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney endorsed Allred over Cruz.