ESPN said Wednesday that it had fired baseball analyst Curt Schilling for his comments in favor of bathroom bills and against the transgender-rights movement, saying it is “an inclusive company.”
The firing grew out of a series of comments the former Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies star made on Facebook earlier this week.
Mr. Schilling reposted an Internet meme showing a picture of a man in a wig and women’s clothing that had the words “Let him in! To the restroom with your daughter or else you’re a narrow minded, judgmental, unloving, racist bigot who needs to die!!!”
The outspoken conservative pitcher added his own words, denying the transgender-rights movement’s central arguments that “gender identification,” a matter of personal preference makes a person male or female, not biology.
“A man is a man no matter what they call themselves” and “Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic,” Mr. Schilling wrote.
Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Schilling, in response to days of criticism, wrote a lengthy blogpost in defense of his right to free thought, referring to his critics as, among other things, “frauds” and “spineless looking-to-be-offended folks.”
ESPN called that all unacceptable dissent in a statement released Wednesday.
“Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated,” a statement from the network read.
The firing is the latest sign that public disagreement with the LGBT movement’s central philosophical premises is now a fireable offense in the eyes of corporate America, even in the world of sports.
For example, Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich was forced to resign from his post after it was learned that he had donated to a California initiative defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
And earlier Wednesday, the National Hockey League suspended Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw for one game — potentially a season-ending game for the team — and required him to undergo sensitivity training “for making use of a homophobic slur” in Tuesday’s playoff game against the St. Louis Blues.
A video shows Mr. Shaw yelling “faggot” amid a volley of obscenities at someone on the ice after being put into the penalty box with just over two minutes to go and the Blackhawks trailing 4-3.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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