A recent Texas GOP mailer targeting Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who is challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz for his Senate seat, is drawing criticism for misleadingly using the story of Mack Beggs, a transgender man. The mailer, which promotes anti-transgender rhetoric, includes a blurred image of Beggs, a former high school wrestler, and the statement “Colin Allred failed to protect women’s sports, supporting boys competing with girls.” Critics argue that the mailer misrepresents Beggs’ story and the broader conversation around transgender rights and athletics.
Beggs, 25, fought throughout his high school wrestling career to compete with boys. However, Texas’s University Interscholastic League (UIL) mandates that athletes compete based on the gender listed on their birth certificate, forcing Beggs into the girls’ division despite his objections. At the time, Beggs was undergoing hormone therapy, which became a flashpoint of controversy, particularly when he won two state championships in 2017 and 2018. The UIL’s decision made him a public figure, targeted by those opposing the participation of transgender athletes in sports.
The portrayal of Beggs in the GOP mailer, however, distorts the reality of his situation. “How they’re using my photo, it’s just very misleading. It’s not OK,” Beggs told reporters after seeing the mailer, which surfaced in late September. He expressed concern for the safety of his loved ones and stated he was consulting legal counsel from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In a statement on Instagram, Beggs further condemned the political use of his image, calling it “sickening” and noting that the state’s Republican government has repeatedly used his story for political gain.
The Ongoing Fight for Transgender Rights in Texas
Beggs’ story reflects the complex challenges faced by transgender athletes and how their experiences are frequently mischaracterized for political purposes. In Texas, the battle over transgender participation in sports has been a heated issue, often used as a political tool by Republicans to galvanize their base.
Sen. Cruz and his allies have amplified their attacks on Rep. Allred’s support for transgender rights as the Senate race intensifies. A recent commercial for the Cruz-aligned Truth and Courage PAC shows an actor who resembles Allred, a former NFL player, tackling a teenage girl, making a clear reference to Allred’s football career. The ad, part of an $8 million effort to re-elect Cruz, perpetuates the narrative that allowing transgender athletes to compete in sports based on their gender identity is a threat to women’s sports.
This strategy, widely viewed as an attempt to distract voters from other pressing issues, aims to leverage cultural fears. In 2023, Cruz and fellow Republicans championed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would prohibit transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The bill passed the House of Representatives along party lines but stalled in the Senate. Allred voted against the bill, aligning himself with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, and supporting protections for transgender athletes.
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups like Equality Texas have voiced their concerns over the GOP’s focus on transgender issues in the Senate race. Johnathan Gooch, communications director for Equality Texas, said, “The rhetoric is truly alarming, and trans Texans have dealt with a lot. They don’t need their lives politicized.”
Beggs Speaks Out: Seeking Justice
Since the GOP mailer’s release, Beggs has been vocal about the emotional toll that being dragged into political campaigns takes on him and his family. “I’ve been waiting to collect my thoughts on this situation,” he posted on social media, before denouncing the Republican Party of Texas for using his image without consent. “The fact they are STILL using my story and FACE for their political agendas. It’s sickening at this point,” he wrote, emphasizing the harm caused by their continued misrepresentation of his journey.
Beggs, who made national headlines during his high school wrestling career, has continued to advocate for transgender rights and athletic inclusion. His case illustrates the complexity of trans athletes’ experiences, which are often reduced to simplistic and inflammatory narratives in the political arena. While he won two state titles wrestling in the girls’ division, Beggs has consistently maintained that his goal was to wrestle in the boys’ division—a request that the UIL denied, citing state law.
For Beggs, the mailer is a deeply personal attack that resurrects a controversy he has worked hard to move beyond. He expressed worry about the potential for renewed threats and harassment toward himself and his family, echoing the challenges many transgender individuals face when their identities are politicized.
Allred Defends Transgender Rights as GOP Sharpens its Attack
Rep. Allred’s position on transgender rights has been a focal point in his campaign, as he continues to advocate for the protection and inclusion of transgender people, including athletes. In Congress, Allred co-sponsored a resolution to create a “Transgender Bill of Rights,” which seeks to enshrine protections for transgender and nonbinary people in areas such as healthcare, employment, and access to public spaces. Allred has framed his support for transgender rights as a broader commitment to civil liberties and equality for all Americans.
Cruz, however, has seized upon Allred’s voting record as a wedge issue, particularly his opposition to the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. “Colin Allred voted to allow boys in girls’ bathrooms, boys in girls’ locker rooms, boys in girls’ sports,” one recent Cruz campaign ad stated. The ad goes further, accusing Allred of undermining Texas state law that aims to protect women’s sports.
Josh Stewart, a spokesperson for Allred’s campaign, quickly condemned the ads as divisive and false. “This is a disgusting, false attack, and another example of how Ted Cruz only wants to divide Texans,” Stewart said in a statement. The campaign also highlighted Cruz’s focus on cultural issues rather than addressing key concerns for Texans, including abortion rights, Social Security, and Cruz’s well-documented trip to Cancun during a deadly winter storm in 2021.
Former Wyoming Republican U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, known for breaking from her party on issues like election integrity and civil rights, recently endorsed Allred over Cruz. Cheney’s endorsement underscores a broader split within the GOP over the use of transgender issues as a campaign tactic, with some Republicans pushing for a more inclusive platform, while others, like Cruz, have doubled down on anti-transgender rhetoric.
Voter Sentiment and the Impact of Cultural Issues
Polling data suggests that while cultural issues such as transgender rights are important to a segment of Republican voters, they may not be the decisive factors that candidates like Cruz hope they will be. For many voters, economic concerns, healthcare, and immigration remain at the forefront of their decision-making. Political analysts have raised doubts about whether focusing so heavily on transgender issues will resonate with the broader electorate, particularly as the U.S. Senate race tightens.
Democratic strategists argue that the GOP’s focus on transgender athletes is a distraction from critical issues like inflation and access to affordable healthcare. According to a recent press release from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Democrats are expanding their focus on key battleground states, including Texas, where they believe Cruz’s controversial stance on several issues has damaged his standing.
“All cycle long, the DSCC has been preparing to take advantage of Sen. Cruz’s damaged standings in Texas,” DSCC Chair Gary Peters said, referring to Cruz’s vulnerability due to his hardline views on issues like transgender rights and his controversial trip to Cancun during the 2021 winter storm.
As the Texas Senate race heats up, the stakes for transgender rights and the broader LGBTQ+ community continue to rise. For voters and families of transgender individuals, like Mack Beggs, the political landscape can feel increasingly hostile. However, advocacy groups and allies remain committed to pushing back against the use of misinformation and fearmongering in political discourse.
For Beggs, the hope is that his story will no longer be misused for political gain. Instead, he hopes it will spark meaningful dialogue about fairness, inclusion, and the right for transgender individuals to compete as their authentic selves.
