Canada’s Christian basketball team responds to allegations of ‘abuse’ of transgender people
Like OutKick he reported on ThursdayVancouver Island University’s women’s basketball team refused to play PACWEST conference opponent Columbia Bible College, saying the Christian school created an unsafe environment because VIU has a transgender player.
The Vancouver Island released a statement saying its players did not feel safe playing at Columbia Bible College.
“Intimidation, harassment and discrimination have no place in athletics,” the statement said. according to Fox News. “VIU fully supports our student-athletes and affirms the right of all athletes to compete in an environment that prioritizes their safety and well-being.”
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Columbia Bible College denied the allegations. (iStock)
The CBC immediately rejected accusations that they had created an unsafe environment and countered by saying they had put extra security measures in place for the games against VIU.
The allegations of “intimidation, harassment and discrimination” stem from multiple incidents in late October when the two teams played each other for the first time this season.
Vancouver Island transgender player Harriette Mackenzie said in an Instagram video that CBC coach Taylor Clagett went on a “tirade” at VIU staff complaining that the team had a man on the women’s basketball team.
Mackenzie, who leads VIU in points, rebounds and blocks and is the tallest player on the team, further said CBC players tried to injure the transgender athlete with intentional flagrant fouls.
Columbia Bible College players wrote a letter denying the allegations against their team and head coach.
The Christian School players released their own statement, signed by all the players, defending their coach and denying the allegations made by Mackenzie and VIU.
“Coach Claggett has repeatedly shown respect for all athletes from diverse backgrounds throughout her career as a youth and college coach. We have the privilege of interacting with Coach Claggett on a daily basis and know that the concerns she has expressed are rooted in concern for the safety of her team.” said in a statement sent to OutKick.
“The attack on Coach Claggett’s character and the character of our team over the last three months was based on misinformation and one side of a complicated scenario.”
Normally, in this situation, those games would count as forfeits for the Vancouver Island, the No. 5 team in the CCAA. However, the PACWEST decided to simply postpone those games for now, something Columbia Bible College said represented a double standard.
A general view of the rim and nets during the college basketball game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Providence Friars on March 2, 2024 at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, RI. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“In the past, when a team refused to participate and travel to a scheduled game, they received 0 classification points. By postponing this weekend’s games, the PacWest went against standard operating procedure. No clear rationale was given to our team to justify this deviation from normal procedure,” the press release states.
It seems clear that Coach Claggett does not believe that biological males, like Mackenzie, should compete in women’s sports. This is the majority opinion of most American citizens, although Canada leans more to the left than the United States, so there may be fewer citizens who hold this common sense belief in the neighboring country.
But the picture painted by the CBC players is not unlike the one often seen in American sports when women stand up for themselves and their sport and demand that biological men compete against other men, not against women. They face harassment and calls for “bigotry” because they simply want fair competition.
It is unfortunate that the players and the coach received “derogatory messages” for their attitude, but that is the reality. And, as CBC pointed out, the PACWEST appears to be showing favoritism toward VIU, possibly because the conference fears backlash from the transmafia if it doesn’t comply with their demands.
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That’s how these people often get theirs. They use bullying tactics to silence opponents. But the Columbia Bible College players decided not to stay silent. Good for them.
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