Basketball Team Will Skip Games Over Alleged Mistreatment of Trans Player

[Jessica_Rose]

Basketball Team Will Skip Games Over Alleged Mistreatment of Trans Player

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/basketball-team-will-skip-games-over-alleged-mistreatment-of-trans-player/ar-AA1xc0fk?ocid=windirect&cvid=7327f6fbb81d4512898d50137dc75c6a&ei=57

Story by Natalie Venegas (8 Jan 2025)

The Vancouver Island University (VIU) women's basketball team has announced a boycott of two upcoming games against Columbia Bible College (CBC) following claims of mistreatment toward their transgender teammate.

In a letter signed by all 13 team members, the VIU Mariners declared they "do not feel safe" to play in the upcoming games against CBC due to incidents that allegedly occurred during games in late October.

Mariners forward Harriette Mackenzie, who is transgender, spoke to The Canadian Press in October about verbal and physical mistreatment she said she experienced when her team hosted CBC for a pair of games in Nanaimo.

According to Mackenzie, CBC's head coach Taylor Claggett went on a "tirade" after losing on October 25, yelling at a Mariners staff member about how Mackenzie shouldn't be allowed to play against women.

When the two sides played again on October 26, Mackenzie, who shared a video with The Canadian Press, said her opponents physically targeted her.

The letter signed by VIU players said: "All of us should be free to be ourselves and play the game we love in a supportive and safe environment—including queer and trans athletes."