'Shame on the adults!' Riley Gaines leads outrage over trans Oregon runner being allowed to compete against girls and totally obliterate them

Trans high-schooler Aayden Gallagher attracted ire across the internet over the weekend, when a video of the 10th grader competing in an Oregon girls' track and field event made the rounds.

The question of transgender female athletes competing against their biologically female counterparts continues to fuel one of the loudest culture wars in the country.

Former NCAA swimming champ Riley Gaines, who is perhaps the most well-known example of a female athlete who was stripped of an award because a biologically male swimmer was given preference in her college sport, was quick to blame the 'adults' at the Oregon track event for allowing Gallagher to compete.

'Let's call this what it is,' she wrote on X. 'Encouraged AND celebrated cheating at the hands of the "adults" in the room.

'So many fingers to point, but shame on the parents, the schools, the boy, our weak administration,' and the Oregon School Activities Association.

The video causing such a stir shows McDaniel High School sophomore Aayden Gallagher speeding past a group of biologically female athletes to cross the finish line way in front of the rest of the pack.

Gallagher competed in several other events throughout the day, finishing in consistently high positions at the Sherwood Need for Speed Classic in Sherwood, Oregon. 

A trans high school sophomore has met fury online after cruising to victory seconds before most of her other competitors

Video of the race drew criticism from many female athletes including Amelia Strickler (pictured), a British shot put champion, who declared, 'Biology has to be the rule'

April Hutchinson (pictured), a powerlifter on Team Canada, slammed the teen as a 'liar' and 'a prime example of a male cheat'

The video from the track meet was originally posted by Reduxx, a feminist magazine, which referred to Gallagher a 'a boy who "identifies" as a girl.'

The clip quickly racked up millions of views.

Gallagher revealed in an interview with her high school newspaper last year that she will be pursuing hormone replacement therapy. 

'I feel like it’ll make me a lot more confident,' said the student, at the time a high school freshman.

'Because right now I’m just going to keep on getting more and more masculine. More facial hair, stuff like that. And I don’t want that. Estrogen and other hormones and getting vocal training would make me a lot happier and more confident.'

It is not clear if Gallagher has begun a hormone replacement regime. 

Speaking to an interviewer after the race, the student said she 'wasn't really in front of a lot of people at the beginning of the race,' adding, 'I like to not go out super strong.'

She was ultimately defeated by another runner as the competitors came to the last hundred meters. 

'We were both trying to get first. And she's been doing it for a long time, this is my first year,' the sophomore said. 'Really proud of her, she did great. I hope to see her in other track meets.'

The high schooler quickly became the target of criticism on social media as accounts with tens of thousands of followers circulated the video of her crossing the finish line.

'This is sick and disgusting and I want to know why his parents are allowing him to mock female athletes, why his coach is allowing him to cheat, and why these girls' coaches and parents aren't speaking up,' wrote Meghan Murphy, a Canadian author and podcaster.

'Championing boys in girls sports is blatant misogyny,' wrote the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS).

The founder of OutKick, where Gaines hosts a podcasts, Clay Travis wrote: 'another proud moment for "women's" sports!' 

Female athletes also joined the conversation.

'At some point, we have to all be willing to see this for what it is. Please stop pretending like this is anything other than telling young female athletes they don’t matter,' wrote Carilyn Johnson, two-time member of Team USA.

April Hutchinson, a powerlifter on Team Canada, branded the student 'a prime example of a male cheat.'

'Beats women, then lingers around, waiting for congratulations, and constantly seeks validation. You're a liar to yourself and everyone in that facility. Shame on all the enablers,' she wrote. 

Amelia Strickler, a shot put champion who was twice awarded the British national title, asserted, 'Biology has to be the rule.'

The Oregon School Activities Association's policy for the participation of trans athletes in school sports states as follows:

'The OSAA endeavors to allow students to participate for the athletic or activity program of their consistently asserted gender identity while providing a fair and safe environment for all students.'

The rule aims to 'promote harmony and air competition among member schools by maintaining equality of eligibility and increase the number of students who will have an opportunity to participate in interscholastic activities.'

The policy also states that once a transgender students has told the school about their new identity, the student 'shall be consistently treated as that gender for purposes of eligibility for athletics and activities, provided that if the student has tried out or participated in an activity, the student may not participate during that same season on a team of the other gender.' 

Carilyn Johnson, a two-time member of Team USA, said the teen's impressive stats - finishing second in the 200 meter and 400 meter heats - showed 'young female athletes they don't matter'

Trans participation in sports has long been a controversial topic. One basketball player at a Massachusetts high school drew criticism for slamming another player to the ground

The student, described as 'more than 6 feet tall' with 'facial hair,' reportedly injured three players on the opposing team including the girl seen in footage of the game

Twenty-four U.S. states ban transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity, including Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill in 2021

Trans athletes' participation in school sports is an ongoing controversy with safety implications for young athletes.

In February 2023, a high school basketball player in Massachusetts - described as 'more than 6 feet tall' with 'facial hair' - threw a player on the opposing team to the ground.

Video of the incident, which left the other student writhing in pain, quickly spread online.

Three students on the opposing team at the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell were also injured during the game, according to school officials.

The team ultimately chose to forfeit when other players expressed their fear of getting injured and not being able to compete in the coming playoffs.

Under Massachusetts state law, a player cannot be excluded from a team based on gender identity. However, 24 other states have banned transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity.

This includes Florida, where 2021 legislation from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis bars transgender females from playing on public school teams intended for athletes born as girls.

'In Florida, girls are going to play girls sports and boys are going to play boys sports,' DeSantis said as he signed the bill into law. 'We're going to make sure that that's the reality.'

The state has enforced this ruling. In 2023, Monarch High School was fined $16,500 after the the Florida High School Athletic Association found a transgender student was playing on a female volleyball team.