Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

When Mack Beggs won the the Texas state girl's wrestling championship it created a controversy. The 17-year was born female, but she is "transitioning" into a male. So Beggs is taking hormone replacement therapy. Critics say this gives her an unfair advantage over girls who do not take testosterone—girls who would have been disqualified for taking the drug for any other reason. The treatments increased Beggs' strength and muscle mass and helped her go undefeated this wrestling season. The outrage seems to be that Beggs testosterone injections gave her an unfair competitive advantage. But perhaps the outrage is misplaced? Why are minors like Beggs allowed to make life-altering decisions in the first place? Truth is there is more at stake than a girls wrestling championship—its over what it means to be human and whether children have a right to change their gender.