A trans basketball player claims she faces a major disadvantage when competing against biological women in the sport.
A transgender basketball player, Harriette Mackenzie, has made headlines by claiming she faces a significant disadvantage while playing against biological women.
At just 21 years old, Mackenzie plays for Vancouver Island University and has had a successful career on the court.
Mackenzie has achieved record-breaking success in basketball.
Mackenzie has made a name for herself in college basketball.
She leads her team in points, rebounds, and blocks this season.
Before joining Vancouver Island, she set five records while playing at Mount Royal University.
Despite her accomplishments, Mackenzie believes that she competes at a biological disadvantage.
Mackenzie began her transition at a young age.
She stated that she started transitioning in kindergarten or first grade.
She explained, “I never went through male puberty; I only went through female puberty.”
Mackenzie insists that all transgender individuals should have the opportunity to participate in sports.
She then added: ‘I believe all trans people should be included in sports.’
Transgender basketball player says she faces major ‘competitive’ disadvantage in women’s sports
Recently, Mackenzie has faced challenges beyond competition.
She and her teammates have expressed concerns about their safety while playing against Columbia Bible College.
After previous games, Mackenzie reported that she endured both physical and verbal abuse from opponents and their coach.
The Vancouver Island team was scheduled to play against Columbia Bible College, but they felt unsafe doing so.
Mackenzie accused CBC’s coach, Taylor Claggett, of encouraging rough play against her during their last encounter.
In a video shared on social media, Mackenzie claimed that Claggett had confronted a staff member from Vancouver Island and insisted that Mackenzie should not be allowed to play women’s basketball.
This incident left Mackenzie feeling targeted and unsafe.
She also alleged that during the last game, a CBC player threw her to the ground, and Claggett appeared to support that action from the sidelines.
Transgender basketball player has support from teammates
Mackenzie’s teammates have rallied around her.
All 13 players on the Vancouver Island University team signed a letter to the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST), expressing their feelings of unsafety when playing against Columbia Bible College.
Their united front shows the team’s commitment to supporting one another in difficult situations.
Response from Columbia Bible College
In response to the allegations, a statement from Columbia Bible College defended Coach Claggett.
The school claimed that Claggett was acting in the best interest of her players’ safety.
Claggett also took to social media to refute the accusations, stating that they were not true to her character or beliefs.
Reactions on social media have been mixed following Harriette Mackenzie’s claims.
Supporters praised her courage for speaking out about her experiences, emphasizing the need for inclusion in sports.
However, some critics argued against allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, citing concerns about fairness.
He started transitioning in kindergarten??? Pretty soon they are going to be saying I started my transitioning in the womb, one user said.
Men have bigger airways bigger lungs bigger hearts bigger and denser bones bigger muscle mass, the second user commented.
I wouldn’t be complaining at all. From a genetic makeup aspect, you have many advantages against ALL the woman you play any b-ball with.
It would only be a disadvantage to you if you were born a man, transgendering to a woman and trying to play with male born opponents, another user explained.
This dude is complaining about being beaten up by women while pretending to be a woman, I don’t see the problem, someone said.