Gender-confused boy wins girls’ Irish dancing competition for the third straight year
Male Dancer Wins Girls' Irish Dance Championship For THIRD Year In A Row - Reduxx
A boy has won a girls’ Irish dancing title for the third year in a row, prompting backlash from women’s rights advocates. Elias “Alyssa” Saltzman took first place in the girls’ U16 solo category at the 2025 Southern Region Oireachtas last Sunday, representing his latest win in a female category.
Saltzman first came to public scrutiny in 2023 after taking first place in the Southern Region Oireachtas U14 girls’ category, seizing a highly coveted spot at the World Championships.
Just prior to his first win, P.J. McCafferty, the regional director of the Irish Dance Teachers’ Association in the Southern Region, issued a statement defending the decision to allow Saltzman to compete against girls, citing inclusive policies. McCafferty released the statement just ahead of the 2023 Oireachtas, acknowledging a swelling blowback from the parents of the young girls competing in the category.
“I am aware that there is a great deal of upset in the Southern Region about the CLRG and IDTANA policies …
With all the talk of bishops about upholding the dignity of women, they fall silent on this issue.