'It's a crime': Brittney Griner slams laws protecting women's sports from biological males

WNBA player Brittney Griner claimed on Thursday that it is a "crime" to prohibit transgender athletes from participating on sports teams that correspond to their gender identity.

At a press conference, ESPN's Bill Rhoden told Griner that "there have been a number of states who are aggressively moving to prevent transgender athletes from playing," then asked her whether she plans to advocate for "all transgender athletes being able to play."

In response, Griner called it a "crime" to prevent trans athletes from competing on sports teams corresponding to their gender identity.

"I mean, that ranks high on the list of things that I'll be fighting for and speaking up against. You know everyone deserves the right to play. Everyone deserves the right to come here, sit in these seats, and feel safe and not feel like there's a threat or they can't be who they are or, like, it's just all eyes on them," Griner responded.

"So, I think it's a crime, honestly, to separate someone for any reason," she added. "I definitely will be speaking up against that legislation and those laws that are trying to be passed for sure."

Griner's answer notwithstanding, the framing of Rhoden's question was highly misleading.

It is not correct to assert that states are passing laws "to prevent transgender athletes from playing." Rather, the laws that states are passing protect women's sports from biological males competing against biological females.

Transgender athletes can, like any other student, still compete in sports; they just have to play on the team that matches their biological gender.

The laws are designed to protect the integrity of women's sports because when biological females are forced to compete against biological males — especially those who have experienced male puberty — they are at an inherent physical disadvantage that is nearly insurmountable. As professional sports have shown, for example, the best female athletes in a particular discipline can be easily defeated by mediocre male athletes.

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