Every now and then, we see glimmers of hope for the integrity of women’s sports. Basketball Australia just offered more of it by ruling a male ineligible for play in the WNBL 1 South women’s semi-pro basketball league down under. It’s high time other leagues and sports associations wise up and stop the transgender farce, too.
Andrew Bogut, an Aussie who played in the NBA from 2005-2020 and won a championship in 2015 with the Golden State Warriors, was instrumental in Basketball Australia’s decision. His Tweeting challenged the fathers of girls involved in athletics to stand for the integrity of female sports.
At the center of this controversy is Lexi Rodgers, a man who attempted to weasel his way onto the Kilsyth Cobras women’s team. Basketball Australia, which oversees basketball in the land down under, gave him the heave-ho. Its director, Suzy Batkovic, declared him ineligible for the women’s team. She said men need to be kept out of women’s hoops.:
“Firstly, on behalf of Basketball Australia I’d like to acknowledge and sincerely thank Lexi for her cooperation, understanding and patience throughout this process – it’s a complex space that continues to evolve.”
Batkovic’s decision was not a blanket decision for all levels of basketball in Australia, and she also knelt to the sacred cow of inclusivity. “Basketball Australia encourages and promotes inclusivity at community level where the balance of physical activity, health and wellbeing and social benefits can outweigh the competitive nature of sport,” she said.
Basketball Australia will examine transgender athletes’ situations on a “case-by-case basis accounting for and balancing a range of factors, and has implemented this process on behalf of Basketball Victoria in this matter.”
In March, Bogut tweeted his disapproval when it appeared that Rodgers would be approved for play in women’s basketball.
Nick Honey, the CEO of Basketball Victoria, also heightened concerns about men intruding on Australian women’s basketball when he called such nonsense a matter of fairness.:
“It is important that all athletes participate in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment and we hope all in the community can move forward together with a clear understanding of the new guidelines.”
The pro-trans sentiment got Bogut riled up, and he spoke out on Twitter:
"Word is @NBL1 South Women will have a biological Male playing this upcoming season. Are you ok with sacrificing the sanctity of Female Sport in the name of “inclusion”? #GirlDads where are you?”
In a subsequent Tweet, Bogut said, “It makes me sad you are ok with Women's sport and Women’s spaces being taken over by Men I don't condone any abuse to the Kilsyth player, nor do I blame the player.”
Bogut followed up by releasing a video stating he has no problem with how transgenders live their daily lives, but males should not be permitted to play in women’s athletics. He found fault with leagues and teams that would allow such unfairness. Of course, he was accused of hatred by a Twitter troll.
The former basketball player gets it. Transgenders have the freedom to live their lives, but they should not have an open door to destroy the integrity of women’s sports.
