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Former Chicago Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher made his stance known on the issue of transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports as the debate creates a divide in the state where he made his reputation – Illinois.
Urlacher shared his opinion on the issue during an interview on the “Global View” podcast on May 9 and questioned why it is even a debate in some circles.
“Why is it even a debate? A woman is a woman and a man is a man… you’re born with what you’re born with,” Urlacher said.
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Jerome Bettis, #36 of the Pittsburgh Steelers, runs over Brian Urlacher, #54 of the Chicago Bears, for a touchdown on Dec. 11, 2005 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Urlacher even referenced an ongoing controversy in Minnesota, where a transgender pitcher is currently dominating the girls’ softball season. The trans athlete reportedly won 14 straight games heading into the playoffs and earned first-team All-State honors rocked the state in recent weeks.
“It’s just different because we are men, there are certain things we do better than women, and it’s just, number one, it’s not fair, and if I had a daughter who had to be forced to play against a man I would not be okay with it and I would raise hell about it,” Urlacher said.
“I just don’t get it, it’s a common sense thing, I just don’t see how you can push this and make someone thing they’re a different sex.”
EX-VIKINGS PLAYER RIPS MINNESOTA AG AS STATE SUES TRUMP TO KEEP TRANS ATHLETES IN GIRLS’ SPORTS
Former Chicago Bears player Brian Urlacher is honored during halftime of a game between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sept. 17, 2018. (Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports)
The Pro Football Hall of Famer praised President Donald Trump for signing the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order at the White House on Feb. 5.
Illinois has become a hotbed of controversy over the issue of trans athlete inclusion in recent days after a biological male competed in a seventh-grade track meet against biological females at the Naper Prairie Conference Meet.
The incident resulted in a Naperville 203 Community School District Board meeting descending into a heated debate over the issue on Monday.
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Brian Urlacher is honored with a Ring of Excellence ceremony for his recent induction into the Hall of Fame at Soldier Field on Sep. 17, 2018 in Chicago. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Awake Illinois has filed a civil rights complaint against the district, with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights alleging a violation of Title IX.
They called on federal funds to be withheld from the district, which it says receives between $8 million and $9 million in federal grants annually. The complaint is part of a broader effort by Awake Illinois, which previously filed similar Title IX complaints against other districts and the Illinois State Board of Education.
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