{"id":894598,"date":"2026-10-25T22:32:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T22:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/894598\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T22:32:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T22:32:19","slug":"enes-kanter-freedom-mocks-trans-people-after-wnba-rejection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/894598\/","title":{"rendered":"Enes Kanter Freedom Mocks Trans People After WNBA Rejection"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"Enes Kanter Freedom \u2013 Photo: Facebook<\/p>\n

Enes Kanter Freedom, one of two former NBA players who have sought to enter the 2027 WNBA draft by claiming to be women, invoked several anti-transgender tropes while criticizing the league for declaring him ineligible.<\/p>\n

Kanter Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player-turned-politician, both attempted to declare for the draft after claiming to be transgender, seeking to exploit what critics say is a loophole: The league does not explicitly ban transgender players, although no trans person has ever attempted to join.<\/p>\n

The WNBA rulebook says that only women are eligible to play but does not explicitly define \u201cwoman.\u201d There is no formal policy regarding the eligibility of trans or intersex athletes. Because eligibility rules are collectively bargained, any changes \u2014 such as an explicit ban on trans or intersex players \u2014 would have to be negotiated with the players\u2019 union.<\/p>\n

But WNBA officials didn\u2019t take kindly to Kanter Freedom and White\u2019s antics, rejecting their claims that they should be eligible for the draft because they identified as women. The league first rejected the two in August, dismissing their claims as \u201cpublicity stunts,\u201d as Front Office Sports<\/a> reported at the time.<\/p>\n

A source within the league also said the WNBA will continue to discuss eligibility but \u201cwill not allow outside pressure or manufactured controversy to dictate league processes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five Republican members of Congress, led by U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.), subsequently sent a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert demanding that the league \u201censure the League remains exclusively for biological women\u201d and define \u201cwoman.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Engelbert shut down the Republicans\u2019 request and once again declared Kanter Freedom and White ineligible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men,\u201d Engelbert wrote in response to the Republicans\u2019 letter.<\/p>\n

Stutzman subsequently posted Engelbert\u2019s response, claiming her answer validated his belief that transgender identity is not real or valid.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is their clear acknowledgment that simply identifying as a woman does not change basic human biology!\u201d Stutzman wrote in a post<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the league is still working through these questions, how can its commissioner be so certain about my eligibility without explaining the standards that she is applying?\u201d Kanter Freedom said in an interview with the right-wing sports and culture outlet Outkick<\/a>, pretending to be outraged by Engelbert\u2019s response.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn America, people wake up, and they identify themselves as Pikachu, unicorns, dogs, and cats, so the people are okay with that, but I wake up one day and identify myself as a woman, but now they\u2019re telling me how to feel? This is so disrespectful and shameful,\u201d Kanter Freedom continued, rehashing well-worn stereotypes about transgender people.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I\u2019m going to wake up and identify as a unicorn tomorrow,\u201d he added. \u201cWho is [Engelbert] to tell me how I feel or what I think?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kanter Freedom also revealed what he wants the league to do, saying he would end his attempts to join if it added the qualifier \u201cbiological\u201d before \u201cwoman\u201d to restrict eligibility to cisgender players.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will walk to the sunset,\u201d he said of an explicit trans ban. \u201cThey will not hear from me ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Support Metro Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n

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