Staff Reports
Samantha Ponder, an ESPN commentator, has been criticized for her tweet opposing biological male participation in women's athletics. Ponder has been accused of "bigotry" in this progressive and aware society for daring to defend biological women. Riley Gaines, a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky, expressed her concerns about the integrity of track and field competitions on social media. In her tweet, Ponder used her quotation. Ponder tweeted about the numerous girls who share the same concerns, "I barely said anything publicly about this issue & I've had so many people message me & stop me on the street to thank me."
ESPN should be ashamed https://t.co/BG0pSeBTiF
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 30, 2023
Nancy Armour, a columnist for USA Today, accused Ponder of being a misogynist masquerading as a supporter of equality. Armour insisted that Ponder placed transgender people in danger by exaggerating the so-called threat that transgender girls and women are protesting cisgender women's participation in sports.
I barely said anything publicly abt this issue & I’ve had so many ppl msg me, stop me in the street to say thank you+ tell me stories abt girls who are afraid to speak up for fear of lost employment/being called hateful. It is not hateful to demand fairness in sports for girls https://t.co/teNoMDWNW4
— Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) May 25, 2023
How absurd is this allegation? Ponder expressed concern regarding the participation of biological males in female athletics. In what universe is that an assault on transgender individuals? ESPN's Sage Steele defended Ponder and criticized Armour's pitiful assault on this courageous woman who is simply advocating for women in sports. If Armour truly concerned about equity, she would have spoken out against the outrageous funding disparity between male and female sports. Instead, she chooses to attack Ponder, one of ESPN's most vocal proponents of women's athletics.
A recent Washington Post-KFF poll revealed that the majority of American adults oppose biological male competition in women's athletics. It is time to prioritize biology over politics in athletics and begin to support our biological female athletes.
