A transgender teenager was booed at an Oregon sports stadium after winning a race during the state’s high school track and field championship over the weekend.
Multiple videos posted on social media show McDaniel High School sophomore Aayden Gallagher being booed by a crowd of onlookers as she crossed the finish line first in the 200-meter race at the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) Track and Field State Championships on Saturday. Boos could also be heard as the teenage runner received her gold medal at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene, the videos show.
Gallagher’s win quickly went viral on social media, with some critics characterizing her participation in the girls’ division as unfair, arguing that those assigned male at birth are inherently stronger and faster than those assigned female at birth. Others hurled transphobic insults at the high schooler.
“Another proud moment for women’s sports!” Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer who has consistently spoken out against trans athletes participating on women’s sports teams, wrote sarcastically on X following the race. “Aayden Gallagher (male) just placed 1st in the Oregon state championship in the women’s 200m after placing 2nd in the 400m. Just listen to the audible BOOS. People are over this…& it’s about time.”