Former NBA Star Stephen Jackson Speaks On NCAA Collegiate Trans Swimmer Champion Lia Thomas: We Got To Save Women Sports!
Former NBA Star Stephen Jackson Speaks On NCAA Collegiate Trans Swimmer Champion Lia Thomas: We Got To Save Women Sports!
Stephen Jackson isn’t biting his tongue when it comes to transwomen in sports.
Yesterday retired NBA player Stephen Jackson, 43, took to his Instagram to call out what he considers to be a double standard in the world of women’s sports. In a video shared with his almost 100k IG followers, Stephen Jackson addressed how Lia Thomas, who is a trans collegiate athlete, is allowed to compete on her university’s women’s team. However, South African two-time Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya, who is a cisgender woman, was barred by track’s governing body, World Athletics, from competing in races from 400 meters to 1 mile after refusing to lower her naturally high testosterone levels.
While speaking on the controversial issue Jackson said,
“Caster Semenya is the black woman – strong black woman – who can’t compete cause they said she too manly. But you got this white dude who was scared to compete against men and knew he wasn’t better than men, go get a sex change just so he can be at the top. And just so he can be one of the best in the world but he wasn’t better than no men.”
He continued,
“And what we not about to do – we’re not about to have our young women of all races work hard they whole life of the sport – put all this time in to be great, to win a medal, to be at the top, to be one of the best at their sport – And then all the work they put in once they get to the top…now all of a sudden they got to compete against a woman who had a sex change and is really a man.”
He added,
“We got to save women sports! And anybody that thinks that’s fair – you are sick! If you are not good as a man and you can’t compete with men don’t think you can have a sex change and go compete [with] women. That sh*t ain’t gonna ride! Ya’ll sick.”
Trans celebrity Caitlyn Jenner, 72, also seems to be against Lia Thomas competing in women’s sports. Earlier this week Lia Thomas came in first place in the 500-yard NCAA women’s championship. Following her win, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed that the second-place swimmer, University of Virginia freshman Emma Weyant, was the rightful winner. He tweeted,
“By allowing men to compete in women’s sports, the NCAA is destroying opportunities for women, making a mockery of its championships, and perpetuating a fraud.
In Florida, we reject these lies and recognize Sarasota’s Emma Weyant as the best women’s swimmer in the 500y freestyle.”
By allowing men to compete in women's sports, the NCAA is destroying opportunities for women, making a mockery of its championships, and perpetuating a fraud.
In Florida, we reject these lies and recognize Sarasota's Emma Weyant as the best women's swimmer in the 500y freestyle. pic.twitter.com/tBmFxFE3q6
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 22, 2022
Caitlyn Jenner chimed in on the tweet and added,
“agreed! [Emma Weyant] is the rightful winner! It’s not transphobic or anti-trans, it’s COMMON SENSE!”
According to reports, Thomas previously spent 3 years on her university’s men’s team prior to her transition. She reportedly went through 12 months of hormone replacement therapy before joining the women’s team. Thomas is the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA championship.
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