Reagan Reese
The San Francisco State University athletics director claimed there is no “competitive” difference between men and women following the alleged assault of University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who spoke on campus in favor of sports being separated on the basis of biological sex, according to the Golden Gate Express.
Stephanie Shrieve-Hawkins said that believing men have an athletic advantage over women in sports is a common “mistake,” according to the Golden Gate Express. Shrieve-Hawkins’ comments come after Gaines was allegedly“ambushed and physically hit” on campus after speaking out against transgender athletes on April 6.
“You’ll notice that especially transgender male to female is the one that people are focusing most on because it’s a gender bias in a way as well,” Shrieve-Hawkins told the outlet. “So what does that say about women, that women aren’t strong?”
Focusing on the physical differences between men and women in sports hurts the inclusivity, Shrieve-Hawkins said to the Golden Gate Express.
“You wouldn’t see this with dancers or any other thing that’s physical,” Shrieve-Hawkins told the outlet. “It’s just with this athletics [perspective], we live in this society that’s so competitive.”
There are currently no transgender athletes competing on the university’s sports teams, Shrieve-Hawkins told the Golden Gate Express.
In 2022, Gaines competed in the 500-yard freestyle event at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Women’s Championships against Lia Thomas, a biological male, who beat nearly all female opponents by a lap. On April 6, Gaines spoke on San Francisco State University’s campus about the physical advantages men have when competing against women.
At the April speaking event, Gaines alleged to have been hit multiple times by a biological man wearing a dress. The institution released a statement praising the students who protested Gaines’ speaking engagement.
“[T]he trans community is welcome and belongs at San Francisco State University,” the school statement read.
Shrieve-Hawkins and San Francisco State University did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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