Mack Beggs has gone public with his harrowing ordeal trying to wrestle in high school as a transgender man. Beggs adds that he chose to share his story now in opposition to a flood of proposed state laws that would ban transgender athletes from competing in school sports.Now 22, Beggs first attracted national attention in 2017 when a female high school wrestler sued to prevent him from competing in the sport.
In Texas where Beggs grew up, the policy stipulates that transgender men–no matter how far along in transition–must compete in women’s sports.
Beggs had lobbied to compete on the men’s team, but was denied by school authorities. He was just 17 at the time.“I was in a very dark place,” Beggs told Yahoo News in a new interview. “I had to.