Basketball has always been a sport open to all, regardless of their backgrounds, which influences the game in no manner whatsoever. While there have been difficulties and struggles to make the game open for all, basketball communities around the globe have tried their best to make the sport inclusive for everyone, including those who choose to change their gender identity.
Recently, a video from a girls’ high school game surfaced, showing a transgender player asserting their brute force over girls who were struggling to guard the player.
Girls Basketball team forfeits vs transgender player due to injury concern
A girls’ basketball team from the state of Massachusetts, USA, decided to forfeit a game after their coach witnessed multiple injuries that fractured the team in the first half. While there have been no direct accusations, a clip showed a transgender athlete being very aggressive and dominant against his female counterparts, resulting in the players experiencing pain.
According to a statement released by the school, the school supported the coach’s decision to forfeit the game and said that the coach was aware of the presence of the male player prior to the matchup as both teams had played earlier in the season. The girls’ high school basketball team entered the fixture entirely depleted, with four players unable to play from their 12-member roster. The challenging first half saw the team trailing 31-14, while also losing three additional players due to injury.
With just five players available, the coach of the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell Girls’ Basketball Team decided to call it quits with the school playoffs around the corner. Despite no official complaints from the team, fans all over the country expressed their anger at the incident, citing the obvious inequalities that persist with the player who was ‘standing at 6 feet tall “with facial hair.”‘
Transgender player hurting three girls angers NBA fans
A user posted a video of a moment that occurred during the girls’ high school game, questioning the principles of inclusivity that led to players being subject to harsh playstyles and non-sportsmanship-like conduct from the transgender athlete.
Riley Gaines, a University of Kentucky swimmer, who is also an activist against inclusivity of transgender athletes in female sports, harshly questioned school boards and authorities that let such incidents occur across the country.
Taking to Twitter she said, “A man hitting a woman used to be called domestic abuse. Now it’s called brave. Who watches this & actually thinks this is “compassionate, kind, and inclusive”?
Many NBA fans and basketball fans across the world expressed their support for the activist’s post by denouncing the need for such inclusivity. A user said, “I agree Riley, this is domestic abuse. Men should not be in women’s sports.”
Another netizen called for serious reform in the regulations for high school sports, saying “This really is ridiculous. Men can’t play in women’s sports. Period. Either abide by those rules or all parents need to pull their kids out of those schools. It shouldn’t be up to the minors to solve this issue.”
A user also called out the player and the authorities, saying “The cowardly male basketball player is disgusting for choosing to play against females, but the people in charge who allow this to happen are way more disgusting.”
Another user called out the unfair treatment, commenting, “Shameful. This selective compassion is real patriarchy.”
With fans and social media users calling for immediate reform to high school sports, authorities and organizations are being forced to change their stance towards inclusivity thereby sticking to the traditional norms of the sport.
