When Mack Beggs pinned down his final opponent in the Texas state wrestling championship, the crowd erupted.
However, among the loud applause, traces of boos and jeers were heard.
“They just want to automatically call me a cheater,” Beggs said in an interview with ESPN.
The problem is, Beggs is not a cheater. He is transgender.
Beggs, born a female, said he spent most of his childhood questioning his own identity. He said once he hit adolescence, his thoughts turned dark. He cut himself and considered suicide before his mother put him in a hospital.