Picture Credit: Twitter
Brittney Griner held the first press conference after her release in December 2022 and she was asked about transgender athletes and their inclusion in women’s sports. Answering the question, Griner gave a stern reply, stating, “I think it's a crime honestly to separate someone for any reason. So, I definitely will be speaking up against that legislation and those laws that are trying to be passed, for sure.” She also added that it will be high on the list of things she will be advocating for.
Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines however did not seem pleased with Griner’s comments and took to Twitter to criticize the basketball player. She took a dig at her criminal history in the tweet. She replied to the clip from the conference and captioned it, “Which NBA team would have @brittneygriner since apparently the overwhelming, obvious differences between men and women should simply be overlooked? Heartbreaking to see athletically successful women take this demeaning stance. And if we're going to talk about crimes, Brittney…”
The WNBA legend Brittney Griner was held for 10 months before she was released from Russian prison in December after the United States reached a swap agreement for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. She was previously sentenced to nine years in prison after being arrested at the Moscow airport in February 2022 over drug trafficking charges, as customs officials found hash oil in her luggage. She also announced that she won’t be playing outside of the US unless it's for the Olympics.
On the other hand, the House of Republicans recently approved legislation that would bar transgender women and girls from participating in athletic programs designated for women and it will be seen how it progresses.
