On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” sportscaster and CNN contributor Bob Costas said it was “insane” that the boxing federation would allow a match between a biological male and a biological female. ” he said. And he pointed out that it was strange to do so in boxing, a sport with divided weight classes.
Kostas first pointed out that different sports federations have different rules.
He further stated, “When it comes to Olympic boxing, it is my understanding that that federation will allow trans women to compete against biological women, biological women at birth.” That seems strange. And you don’t want to be called — that’s not transphobia, let’s inject some common sense here. A lot of this is vague and we don’t want it. Some people who use this as a problem are actually transgender people and others who have made a carefully considered decision at some point in their lives that will make them happier and closer to their true selves. I think this applies to anyone who is sensitive. But Sugar Ray Leonard didn’t fight Mike Tyson, they were contemporaries. Sugar Ray was a welterweight and Mike was a heavyweight. If one day the best player in the WNBA could play in the NBA, everyone would applaud. But if the baddest guy on the end of the bench of the worst team in the NBA went to the WNBA and averaged 40 points per game, we all know that’s bullshit. ”
Costas added that codified rules will be needed, but he is not sure exactly what they should be.
Later, Atlantic staff writer Caitlin Flanagan said that the reason there is a gender divide in sports is because of the differences between men and women, and Costas agreed.
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