GoKawiilRight-wing commentators baselessly claim trans women play in the WNBA
YouTuber Sydney Watson suggested without evidence that Connecticut Sun center Brittney Griner might be a man playing in the WNBA, despite Griner being cisgender. The claim surfaces amid a broader right-wing campaign against trans athletes in women's sports, fueled by figures like former swimmer Riley Gaines and WNBA player Sophie Cunningham, who has publicly opposed trans women competing in the league.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
There are no known transgender athletes currently in the WNBA, yet the rumor illustrates how anti-trans rhetoric can attach itself to any female athlete, especially Black women, whose bodies are frequently policed under sexist and racist assumptions about gender. The episode shows how unfounded speculation can spread rapidly through social media and intersect with a coordinated political movement targeting trans participation in sports.
- A commentator falsely implied a cisgender WNBA player might be transgender, with no evidence.
- The claim fits a broader conservative campaign against trans athletes led by figures like Riley Gaines.
- WNBA player Sophie Cunningham has become a visible advocate against trans inclusion in women's sports.
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Published there as: “There Are No Trans Women in the WNBA, so Right-Wingers Are Making Some Up”
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