The president of a Wyoming tennis association boldly showed through her actions that she will not support transgendered females (males) competing in women’s sports.
Jackie Fulkrod was the president of the Cheyenne Tennis Association (CTA) board, a group that oversees the Wyoming Governor’s Cup tournament that is taking place this weekend. The Cup helps many college players boost their United States Tennis Association (USTA) rankings, which helps with college recruitment.
I say “was,” because Fulkrod has resigned over the CTA’s decision to allow a biological male to compete in the women’s division of this event. Brooklyn Ross, a 27-year-old biological man, will be competing against females that he has a distinct physical advantage over.
This decision was (rightfully) so appalling to Fulkrod that she gave up her position last week in protest. Several other board members were reportedly upset by the decision, and Fulkrod’s mother also resigned.
“I think a man playing against a woman is a very unfair matchup when it’s specifically meant for women in that specific draw,” Fulkrod said. “I feel like having a transgender athlete compete in the women’s draw is against my personal integrity and what I believe and value.”
Wyoming has laws in place to protect these situations from happening in public schools, but since the Governor’s Cup is not a school-sanctioned event, it opened the door for Ross to compete.
Even though this decision creates a very real problem for the women he will play against and likely defeat, Ross finds Fulkrod’s decision unreasonable.
“I feel sad this woman has resigned over this,” Ross said. “I feel like there’s no reason to.”
There’s absolutely a reason. If the organization you oversaw voted to allow a man like Ross to ruin the fairness of the tournament for women, resigning over the issue isn’t that radical.
I feel for the women who have to compete against Ross this weekend. Should they lose, it will not be because they are incapable athletes. It will be because the CTA did not have the courage to make sure the tournament would be fair for them.
