In a recent exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Charly Arnolt, a former ESPN reporter, expressed her opinions on the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports. Arnolt criticized WNBA player Brittney Griner, transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, and retired professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe, questioning their viewpoints on this contentious issue.
Arnolt voiced her disagreement with Brittney Griner’s statement that it was a “crime” to deny biological men the opportunity to compete in women’s sports. While acknowledging Griner’s success in the WNBA, Arnolt highlighted that Griner should be grateful for not having faced such obstacles earlier in her career. Arnolt expressed concerns about the tendency to criminalize dissenting viewpoints and emphasized the importance of fostering constructive dialogue on the topic.
Arnolt also discussed Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who competed on the women’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania. Arnolt described Thomas as the “biggest bigot” she has encountered, accusing Thomas of imposing personal beliefs on others. Arnolt argued that Thomas’s decision to compete in women’s sports, after being a “mediocre athlete” in male competition, raises questions about fairness and physical advantages.
“You [Thomas] were a mediocre athlete in terms of male competition, and then you decided that you wanted to jump up the ladder and enter into the women’s competition,” she said. “You are built differently than a woman.”
Arnolt contended that the notion of a gender spectrum conflicts with scientific evidence and DNA. While acknowledging the right of individuals to identify as they wish, Arnolt emphasized that biological sex determines an individual’s fundamental makeup. She raised concerns about men entering women’s spaces without considering the historical struggles women have faced to gain equal opportunities in sports.
“Anyone who tries to make the argument that there is a gender spectrum, you can believe whatever you want, but science will tell you, the DNA will tell you, there was a man and there was a woman,” Arnolt continued. “I don’t care how you want to identify; at ground zero, that’s who you are. I find it offensive as a woman when a man decides that just because they have decided to live their life and identify differently, that now they can enter into a space that belongs to women that they have fought so hard for and just completely obliterate the success and opportunities that they should have.”
Arnolt criticized Megan Rapinoe for her support of allowing biological males who identify as transgender to participate in women’s sports. Highlighting Rapinoe’s role in promoting equality and women’s rights, Arnolt argued that her stance contradicted her previous efforts. Arnolt highlighted the need for consistency in advocating for women’s achievements and opportunities in sports.
