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Anti-trans spectators booed as the sophomore crossed the finish line in the 200-meter race first, then later as she received her gold medal.
Crowds at Oregon's high school track and field championship over the weekend loudly booed after a transgender girl won a race.
The athlete, a sophomore at McDaniel High School, won the 200-meter race at the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) Track and Field State Championships on Saturday. Spectators booed as she crossed the finish line first, then later as she received her gold medal at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, videos circulating online and reported by multiple outlets show.
As the teen's win went viral online, commentators directed a vicious slew of insults at her. She was bullied by prominent conservative figures like failed college athlete Riley Gaines and online persona Chaya Raichik, behind the account Libs of TikTok, who the Southern Poverty Law Center designates as an extremist that "mobilizes right-wing extremist groups in violent attacks against" against LGBTQ+ people and institutions.
The OSAA “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," according to its rule book. It does not require students to transition physically before competing.
While 25 states have laws preventing or restricting transgender athletes' participation in school sports, according to the Movement Advancement Project, Oregon currently does not. The sophomore was therefore not in violation of any school, district, or state policies.
Cyd Zeigler, founder of LGBTQ+ sports site Outsports, told NBC News that "the criticism is misdirected,” as the teen did not break any rules. For those complaining, he said “their real problem is with the rulemakers, not this kid.” More importantly, the "disgusting" hatred being directed at a minor could seriously impact her mental health.
“For conservatives to attack her as a ‘cheater’ and saying she couldn’t make it as a boy so now she’s a girl, it’s just disgusting,” Zeigler said. “This is the kind of rhetoric — when you’re a teenager and you hear it on the stands and you see it on social media — this is the kind of stuff that causes kids to hurt themselves.”
