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Transgender high school wrestler target of Texas lawsuit

Posted at 2:41 PM, Feb 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-24 14:41:40-05

HOUSTON - The ongoing debate over transgender policies in Texas has moved from the bathroom to the wrestling mat.

Mack Beggs, 17, from Euless, Texas is a wrestler for Trinity High School who is competing in this weekend's state championship -- in the girls division.

Beggs is almost two years into a female-to-male transition.  Because he's listed as female on his birth certificate, the UIL rulebook won't let Mack wrestle boys.  So, he's been competing and winning  against girls all season.

Earlier this month, parents of Beggs' opponents filed a lawsuit demanding the UIL place Mack in the boys' division, despite his birth certificate.

The White House rolled back Obama-era guidelines for dealing with transgender students. With federal guidelines out it will be up to individual states to decide how to deal with transgender issues.

Sounds like there will be more wrestling to happen in the courtrooms and in the state legislature than on the actual mat.