OH, PETE’S GOT IT NOW OVER TO
ME.
THE DEBATE OVER TRANSGENDER
ATHLETES TAKING A TURN AS A
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SWIMMER IS NOW SPEAKING OUT
AGAINST HER SCHOOL’S DECISION TO
LET TEAMMATE LIA THOMAS COMPETE.
THE ANONYMOUS SWIMMER TELLING
FOX NEWS DIGITAL U PENN THAT THE
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA IS
PROVING THEY DON’T ACTUALLY CARE
ABOUT THEIR WOMEN ATHLETES.
ADDING FEMALE TEAMMATES ARE
BEING TOLD TO OVERLOOK, DEAL
WITH IT AND ACCEPT SECOND PLACE.
HERE TO REACT IS FOX NEWS
CONTRIBUTOR.
TAMMY BRUCE.
TAMMY, SUCK IT UP.
DEAL WITH SECOND PLACE?
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> Will: THIS IS WHERE WE ARE?
>> WELL, IT’S ALSO WHERE WE ARE
THAT THAT PERSON FELT THE NEED
TO BE ANONYMOUS.
SO THIS GIVES YOU KIND OF THE
LANDSCAPE OF WHAT’S BEEN CREATED
HERE.
ALL RIGHT?
THIS IS SOME PEOPLE SAY AN ISSUE
ABOUT TRANSGENDERISM.
IT’S NOT.
IT’S AN ISSUE ABOUT FAIRNESS,
FAIR PLAY.
AND AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD.
SO YOU HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO
GOES OUT AND IS A SWIMMER FOR
PENN.
AND IS BLOWING OUT EVERY RECORD,
WINS ALL THE TIME.
THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS A
BIOLOGICAL MALE, AND PHYSICALLY
IS LARGE, AND THIS BECOMES THE
ISSUE IS WHEN WE THINK ABOUT AN
EVEN PLAYING FIELD. WITH COMPETITION AND THREATISM
WITH COMPETITION AND THREATISM
THEREATHLETICISMTHERE IS A PRESU
ARE PLAYING YOU HAVE GOT A
CHANCE BECAUSE THERE IS AN EVEN
PLAYING FIELD.
WHEN THIS INDIVIDUAL GOES OUT
THERE AND HAS THESE KINDS OF
EXTRAORDINARY VICTORIES, THEY
KNOW EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT IT’S
NOT AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD.
THE UNIVERSITY KNOWS THAT IT’S
NOT -- IT MAKES A MOCKERY OF THE
IDEA OF COMPETITION.
AT THIS POINT IT’S REALLY AN
EXHIBITION WITH A KNOWN GIVEN
WINNER.
SO, THIS IS WHAT IS UNACCEPTABLE
WHEN IT COMES TO COMPETITION,
WHEN IT COMES TO ATHLETICISM.
AND JUST IN THE SENSE OF ALSO
REGARDING THE NATURE OF WOMEN’S
SPORTS.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T
KNOW, DESPITE MY 17 YEARS WITH
THIS NETWORK, BECAUSE I ONLY
MENTION IT WHEN IT MATTERS, WHEN
IT’S RELEVANT BUT AS A GAY
WOMAN, I CAN SPEAK TO THE NATURE
OF WHAT THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENTS IN THIS COUNTRY WERE
ABOUT.
WHICH WAS NOT ABOUT ERASING
SOMEONE ELSE, OR BULLYING PEOPLE
INTO A CERTAIN KIND OF
ACCEPTANCE OF A DYNAMIC.
IT WAS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO BE
ACCEPTED WITHIN THE FAIRNESS OF
THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DEALING
WITH HERE.
THERE ARE BULLIES OUT THERE, I
HAVE TO TELL YOU, WHO ARE TRYING
TO SET THIS AS SOMETHING THAT
YOU CAN’T SPEAK ABOUT.
WELL, WE MUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK
ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE
LEGITIMACY WITHOUT WIPING OUT
WOMEN OR THE CONCEPT OF
FEMALENESS.
>> Will: YOU KNOW, TAMMY, THOSE
BULLIES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
EVERYONE ELSE’S EMPATHY.
THEY USE OUR DESIRE TO BE
EMPATHETIC TO ANY ONE DESIRE TO
EXTORT THAT INTO THE DENIAL OF
REALITY.
WHETHER OR NOT IT’S USING
PREFERRED PRONOUNS OR GOING
ALONG TO GET AROUND WITH APPLE
EMOJIS THAT MEN CAN GET PREGNANT
OR IT’S THESE RACES.
I DON’T KNOW HOW IT STOPS -- TO
YOUR ORIGINAL POINT I DON’T KNOW
HOW IT STOPS, TAMMY, AS LONG AS
EVERYONE STAYS ANONYMOUS.
I’M NOT STAYING THAT INDICT
SWIMMERS SPO HO SPOKE TO FOX
NATION.
WHAT I’M SAYING IS PEOPLE.
>> I’VE GOT SOMEONE.
>> Will: OPT OUT.
>> WELL, I HAVE GOT AN EXAMPLE.
CAITLYN JENNER MADE IT VERY
CLEAR AND HAS BEEN SPEAKING UP
AND SPEAKING OUT TO GIVE THOSE
INDIVIDUALS THE COURAGE, THE
ABILITY TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT
ABOUT BEING A TRANSPHOBE.
THIS IS ABOUT FAIRNESS.
THIS IS ABOUT WHAT ALL ATHLETES
WANT.
KAITLIN NOTED THAT SHE DECLINES
TO PARTICIPATE IN WOMEN’S
COMPETITIONS BECAUSE SHE IS JUST
LARGER.
YOU KNOW, SHE GREW UP AS A MAN.
SHE HAD THE TESTOSTERONE IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF HER BODY.
AND NOW COMPETING AGAINST WOMEN
WOULD BE COMPLETELY UNFAIR AND
INCORRECT.
SO SHE DECLINES.
THAT’S WHAT MOST TRANSGENDER
PEOPLE ARE DOING.
THIS IS NOT WHAT THE COMMUNITY
WANTS.
THIS IS POLITICIZING THIS
DYNAMIC WITH VERY FEW PEOPLE.
EVERYONE MUST UNDERSTAND THIS.
THIS IS NOT SOME TENET OF
TRANSGENDERISM.
MY FRIENDS WHO ARE TRANSGENDER
ARE APPALLED AT WHAT IS GOING
ON.
AND IT’S HURTING THE MOVEMENT
ITSELF.
>> Will: THAT’S A FASCINATING
PERSPECTIVE RIGHT THERE.
IT’S GOING TO TAKE SOMETHING.
IT’S GOING TO TAKE SOMETHING
MORE THAN JUST GOING ALONG TO
GET ALONG.
GOING TO TAKE THOSE ANONYMOUS
SWIMMERS OPTING OUT.