Mack Beggs wants you to know that he’s perfectly comfortable with who he is, both as transgender teenager and a state champion wrestler. He’s really just surprised so many other people care about it.
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In an extensive interview with the Dallas Morning News, Beggs spoke on his long transgender transition, when he first realized he might be suffering from gender dysphoria, and the brief period when he spent time in a mental hospital as a seventh grader, when he was first coming to grips with his gender identity.
“I was so glad I got out of that state,” Beggs told the Morning News. … “My masculinity doesn’t define who I am. I define who I am.”
For now, that’s still defined in a significant part as a wrestler. While Beggs would rather compete against other boys, the University Interscholastic League, Texas’ sanctioning body, won’t allow that. It’s that confluence of circumstances that thrust Beggs into the spotlight, particularly after he captured a girls wrestling state title.
The teen insists his title – and undefeated season — isn’t because of testosterone treatments as part of his transition. Rather, it’s because of hard work.
“This is a bigger, more complex situation,” Beggs said. “There’s so many variables. People just don’t understand that.”
As for all the attention he’s received, he described it as “nuts.”
Beggs has posted a lot of photos from the state meet on his Facebook page and also included this message, “Never ever give up on what you love!”
There’s much more from the Morning News piece by the always terrific Michael Florek right here. We highly suggest you read it all.