ESPN Panelist Says ‘Trans Kids Deserve to Play Sports’ in Final Around the Horn Appearance

Kate Fagan, a former regular on ESPN’s Around the Horn, used her final appearance on the show Thursday to argue for allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports.

Fagan, a former University of Colorado basketball player and ESPN employee from 2012-2018, was declared the winner of Thursday’s show and, as is the custom, was given thirty seconds to rant on a topic of her choice.

Fagan chose the transgender sports issue.

“I know it’s my last time on it, and I want to say something worthy of that platform, and that’s trans kids deserve to play sports,” she said. “Think about what you remember from your time playing sports. Ninety-nine percent of it is finding that jersey for the first time, your favorite number, community, joy, those high-fives.

“It’s that moment when you have a great play with a teammate. It’s the feeling of belonging. And it does not know gender. Trans kids deserve the same as everyone else does.

“Sports is joy. Sports is humanity. And the more people who have that, the better.”

In early February, mere weeks after taking office, President Trump rewrote federal Title IX education rules to withhold federal funds from schools that allow transgender athletes to play as females.

There is no federal law banning transgender children from competing in sports. Trump’s executive order would only prevent a male athlete from competing in women’s sports.

X users were quick to point that out.

Around the Horn will air its final episode later this month.