Former Lakers forward player Matt Barnes says he supports people who want to be transgender, but he does not think transgender “women” should play among the natural-born women of the WNBA.
Barnes, who had a 15-year NBA career after being a 46th overall draft pick in 2002, says athletes should only play in the gender category of their birth.
“Whatever you’re born, I feel like you should play in that space,” Barnes said in a recent interview on VladTV, according to TMZ Sports.
“I don’t like that,” he said of trans athletes choosing their own gender category. But, he added, “If you’re born a woman, you should play women’s sports. If you’re born a man, you should play men’s sports. I think the sports thing is a little different.”
Barnes pointed out that he has no problem with a male-born trans “women” acting on their desires and presenting as women. But he feels that ability to choose ought to end when it comes to sports.
Men competing against women is no good, he felt. “You do you,” he said, but sports “is a little different.” But, he added, “it’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed.”
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