Former professional basketball player Enes Kanter wore a T-shirt bearing the slogan 'Woman. Noun. Adult human female' courtside at Sunday's WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky. He was escorted out after a confrontation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
The stunt followed multiple protests outside the arena, coming after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham told ESPN last month that she opposed trans participation in women's sports. Notably, no trans woman has ever played in the WNBA.
Men disrupting women's basketball
Sunday's incident came after men threw sex toys onto the court at a WNBA game last Friday in an apparent protest, following similar stunts last year that were described as pranks. Kanter had also declared himself eligible for the WNBA draft, according to his own interpretation of league rules, and insisted he would use the women's bathroom.
The hypocrisy of men disrupting a women's basketball game under the guise of 'protecting women' reveals a need to control women, the author argues. As the WNBA grows in popularity, more men seem to be looking to muscle in on women's sport.
Real challenges facing women in sport
According to the Women's Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King, real challenges include a lack of opportunities for girls in sport, rising costs, transport barriers, and a lack of supportive coaching. A video from the latest protest showed anti-trans protestors unable to name five female basketball players, while pro-trans protestors could.
After the game, Natasha Cloud posted: 'To every trans kid/person, you are a part of MY community & tribe. You belong. You're loved. You're seen. You're perfect as you are & you will always be protected by me.'
The author concludes that the threat to women's sport is not trans people but a movement obsessed with gender identity, and that protestors should instead support women's rights or cheer on athletes as fans.
