'My heart breaks': Parents outraged after trans athlete wins girls' Irish dancing competition
A boy who identified as a girl reportedly took first place at an Irish dancing competition in the United States, beating out the female dancers for a spot in the world championship.
The under-14 category for the Southern Region Oireachtas competition occurred in Dallas, Texas earlier this month. The final dance results show that the boy finished first out of 100 dancers, earning him world and national qualifying status.
The teenager previously competed as a male during the Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha World Championships in April, where he came in 11th place, reported The Daily Signal, which chose not to name the minor in its report.
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The boy dances for the Inis Cairde School of Irish Dance, which celebrated the results of the competition in a Dec. 4 Facebook post.
The Inis Cairde School of Irish Dance and the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America Southern Region did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
Multiple parents within the Irish Dance Community expressed frustration about their daughters having to compete against a boy in the Irish Dance message board for the southern region, according to the conservative news outlet. The message board moderators reportedly removed such comments and a post by a Daily Signal reporter requesting that parents reach out to her for the article.
One of the mothers whose daughters competed against the boy told The Daily Signal that the situation was "unfair" and made her want to cry.
"I never thought I was going to have to deal with this. And my heart breaks for my daughter and the other girls that are having to deal with this," the mother said. "They are too young to have to deal with topics that are going on in society, that are adult topics, that they don't quite comprehend yet."
Another parent told the outlet that many think it's "outrageous" that girls should have to compete against boys who identify as female.
"It's absolutely ridiculous, just like in any other sport, and we're seeing it play out on the national stage in the congressional hearings this week," the parent said. "The feeling is one of fundamental unfairness. And then obviously the frustration and resentment that goes along with that."
An additional parent, who had a daughter who danced at the Oireachtas and will go to the World Championships, highlighted the biological advantages male Irish dancers have over women, saying the sport is about "strength and power" and that "the boys are stronger."
The debate about whether biological males who identify as female should be allowed to compete against women in athletic contests has been the subject of much debate and congressional hearings.
Earlier this month, women's sports advocate Riley Gaines testified before the U.S. House Oversight Subcommittee about the Biden administration's proposed Title IX rule changes. The proposed policy change would consider state and local policies that prevent trans-identified biological males from competing on female sports teams in violation of federal civil rights law.
Gaines, who now serves as an ambassador for the conservative Independent Women's Forum, testified about how she was forced to compete against trans-identifying swimmer Lia (Will) Thomas during the NCAA championships in 2022. Thomas competed on the men's swim team at the University of Pennsylvania for three years before joining the women's team his senior year.
As a former swimmer for the University of Kentucky, Gaines said that the NCAA forced female athletes to compete and share a locker room with a "6'4, fully intact, naked male."
Despite tying with the male athlete for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle race, Gaines was denied the trophy. She alleges an NCAA official told her that it was necessary for Thomas to hold the trophy for photo purposes.
"It was clear to me, my teammates, and my competitors that they had reduced everything we had worked for our entire life to a photo-op to validate the feelings and the identity of a male," Gaines said.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
