Male transgender wrestler Mack Beggs plans to fight Texas Republicans in court after they used his likeness in transphobic campaign ads.Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) used an ad featuring 2018 footage of Beggs winning his second Texas University Interscholastic League womens wrestling state championship. Under the footage, Cruzs ad featured text saying that Cruzs political opponent Colin Allred failed to protect womens sports, supporting boys competing with girls. Related Pro-wrestler receives overwhelming support after coming out as bisexual If me coming out and living my truth helps at least one other person feel more comfortable in their own skin, it makes it all worth it. Cruz did not get Beggs permission to depict him in the ad. The ad also failed to recognize that Beggs only competed against girls because of state policies forcing him into sports teams matching the gender listed on his birth certificate. Beggs had wanted to compete against boys. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The Republican Party messed up and they know what theyre doing, Beggs told Lonestar Live. You cant just go around throwing around false narratives when this is literally what yall asked for.He only became aware of the ad when people brought it to his attention. He plans to take action in court, and is talking with lawyers.Im definitely going to take legal action, Beggs said. Its a false narrative and defamation.Marc LaHood, a Republican candidate for Texas House District 121, also depicted Beggs in a similar ad without his consent. The ad implied Beggs was a cisgender boy.Im not afraid of my name being known, Beggs said. Im not afraid of my face being plastered everywhere. What I dont appreciate is my story being told falsely and me being painted out to be someone that Im not.He believes that Republicans are deliberately labeling him as either a cisgender man or a transgender woman as an attempt to defame him.They are spinning the narrative to continue to push the anti-trans agenda, Beggs said. My name was brought up 20 times in the (Texas) Senate when it came to first enacting the anti-trans athlete bills back in 2017. So, I think they are very much aware of what theyre doing. Beggs also emphasized that trans athletes of color are often subjected to similar scrutiny. Its not just me who is being attacked or trans athletes or trans individuals in general, he said.Thats more important to me than me being trans, Beggs said. I think that if we continue to fight for marginalized groups as a whole, then myself and everybody in my community will as well win this fight.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.