A transgender high school runner from Oregon sparked controversy on social media during the Portland Interscholastic League Championship semifinals by competing in girls’ events. Aayden Gallagher, representing McDaniel High School, achieved first place in the 400-meter preliminary event with a time of 56.14 seconds, edging out the second-place finisher by 0.23 seconds. Gallagher also secured second place in the 200-meter preliminary event, finishing with a time of 24.49, about 0.17 seconds behind the first-place finisher. These results qualified Gallagher for the finals in both events.

Video clips of Gallagher’s participation circulated on social media and elicited strong reactions, including from two-time Olympic runner Mara Yamauchi, who criticized Gallagher’s perceived effort level. Yamauchi commented, “He’s not even putting in a max effort. Disgusting,” adding, “On the plus side, this is a clear illustration of male advantage. All females finish close together. He is way ahead. Everyone who allows males in the Female category should hang their heads in shame. Cowards!” Carilyn Johnson, a member of the U.S. 24 Hour National Team, also expressed her opinion, stating, “Aaaaaand here we go again,” and highlighting the responsibility of adults in the situation, stating, “Stop telling kids that one boy’s ‘feelings’ matter more than every other girl they compete against.”

The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) has a policy regarding transgender participation in high school sports, aiming to allow students to compete in accordance with their consistently asserted gender identity while ensuring a fair and safe environment for all participants. The policy also seeks to maintain equality of eligibility among member schools and increase opportunities for student participation in interscholastic activities. Additionally, OSAA rules specify that once a transgender student has informed their school of their gender identity, they must be consistently treated as that gender for athletic eligibility, with the exception that if the student has already participated in an activity, they may not switch to a team of the other gender during the same season.