Free Republic

New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu has joined 24 other states in signing legislation barring biological males from playing in girls’ sports.The new law bans trans-identified athletes in grades five through 12 from playing on teams that do not align with their gender identity as indicated on their birth certificates.The bill passed by the Republican-led Legislature would require schools to designate all teams as either girls, boys or coed, with eligibility determined based on students' birth certificates “or other evidence.” Supporters of the legislation said they wanted to protect girls from being injured by larger and stronger transgender athletes.Sununu signed...

Caleb Williams has finally signed his rookie contract with the Chicago Bears. What took so long? Williams’ representatives were reportedly making some unprecedented requests for his contract before he put his name on the dotted line. Williams was still participating in rookie and team activities, but he hadn’t signed his four-year, $39 million deal with the Bears until earlier this week. According to Pro Football Talk, there were differences in the language of Williams’ contract, including one odd request I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player make. Per Mike Florio, Williams requested that his contract be paid in the...

When Stephanie Miller saw the baby boy, her heart melted. In an instant, all the pain and frustration Stephanie and her husband, Richard Green, had endured in their inability to conceive a child went away. Because there, on a VHS cassette sent along by an adoption agency, was footage of a 6-month-old child in need of a loving family. “He looked precious,” Stephanie says now. “I instantly fell in love.” The only problem? He was in Siberia. And so it was that, after a few months of patience and paperwork, Stephanie and Richard made the long, long journey from Virginia...

Sheridan hockey coach Patrick Mudd died over the weekend, after he was allegedly "sucker punched" in a parking lot outside of the Sheridan WYO rodeo. The hockey community laid their sticks outside his home in mourning. =============================================================== A Sheridan man faces up to 20 years in prison, accused of punching a man so hard he died after a parking argument. Cody Joseph McCalla, 33, was charged with involuntary manslaughter Monday in Sheridan Circuit Court. The charge follows a fight Friday outside the local rodeo in Sheridan, in which McCalla punched local hockey coach and player Patrick Mudd so hard, Mudd...

There’s no other way to say it: Ingrid Andress—the country singer you may or may not know from songs like “More Hearts Than Mine” and “Wishful Drinking”—gave a god awful performance of The Star Spangled Banner last night. It might not have been Fergie bad (feel free to debate that one in the comments), but it certainly joins the un-hallowed halls of performances like Carl Lewis’ and Roseanne Barr’s.

Country star Ingrid Andress has made a startling revelation on her social accounts, admitting that she was intoxicated while singing the National Anthem before baseball’s annual Home Run Derby on Monday night, and saying she is planning to check into a rehab facility in the wake of the tumult over her disastrous performance. “I’m not gonna bullshit y’all, I was drunk last night,” she wrote on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). “I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need. That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this...

Former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher, younger brother of seven times world champion and Ferrari great Michael, announced on Sunday he was in a same sex relationship. "The most beautiful thing in life is when you have the right partner by your side with whom you can share everything," he wrote below an Instagram photograph of himself and another man with their arms around each other watching a sunset over the ocean. The only other known male gay driver in the history of Formula One was the late Briton Mike Beuttler who raced from 1971 to 1973 and died in...

Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson and two former college football players were killed in a car crash overnight, according to Maryland State Police. Jackson was 24. Jackson died after a three-car crash that occurred at 3:14 a.m. Saturday in Prince George's County, according to police. Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton Jr. -- the two former players who were high school teammates of Jackson's -- were also killed in the crash, police said. Hazel, 23, played at Maryland and Charlotte, while Lytton, 24, played at Florida State and Penn State. Police said Hazel was driving a Dodge Charger with Jackson...

Afederal court in Kansas on Tuesday blocked the Biden administration's Title IX regulations from taking effect in four states, becoming the latest court to stop the new controversial rules from taking effect in August. The Department of Education's new rules expanded the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity and pregnancy, and included a ban on single-sex bathroom and locker rooms. It also required schools to use pronouns based on a student's preferred gender identity. The new rules have now been stopped in 14 states as of Tuesday. [snip] “Gender ideology does not belong in public schools and we...

Transgender and nonbinary middle-distance runner Nikki Hiltz ran the second fastest time ever of any American in the women’s 1500-meter race at the U.S. Olympic Trials Sunday, qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Hiltz, who uses they/them pronouns, charged ahead of Elle St. Pierre and Emily Mackay in the final stretch of the race, finishing with a time of 3:55:33, a trials record. All of the top eight finishers set a new personal best time, according to OutSports. Paris will mark Hiltz’s Olympic debut. In a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Hiltz, 29, said the race had significance...

It’s not hard to understand why Caitlin Clark, the record-setting white ex-NCAA women’s basketball standout, is enjoying attention and endorsements like no WNBA player before her. And, no, it’s not because of (mythical) “white privilege.” It’s just as how Tiger Woods — who brought legions of new fans to golf the way Clark is doing for women’s hoops — was treated like royalty in the late ’90s for being the first dominant “black” (he calls himself “Cablinansian”) golfer.

Verónica Garcia did not hear the boos when the race started last weekend. When she took the lead in the State 2A girls 400-meter run at the track and field championships in Tacoma, they grew in volume and became unmistakable as she reached the finish line to become the first transgender high school athlete to place first in state. Such victories are typically a time for celebration but the East Valley High School junior’s win has sparked controversy. People criticized Garcia all season for participating on the girls track team. Yet the jeers at Saturday’s meet were “a bit...

The NBA Finals being outdrawn by Caitlin Clark in TV ratings is a good indication that the league is in trouble.

The Nassau County Legislature passed a bill that prevents transgender women from competing in women’s sports on Long Island.At a meeting on Monday, June 24, lawmakers voted 12-6 to pass the law. Originally introduced by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s office, the bill would require sports teams to designate whether they are a female, male, or co-ed team and is aimed to prevent “biological males” from competing on women’s teams. It echoes an executive order Blakeman originally introduced in February 2022, which tried to prevent transgender women from participating in women’s sports at all county-run facilities. The executive order mirrored...

An individual who is believed to have purposely butchered the national anthem at a Pittsburgh Pirates game has been taking heat after controversially changing the words to the patriotic song. The performer altered the words of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ before the game, changing “and the rocket’s red glare” to “And the rocket’s blue glare.” Needless to say, Pittsburgh Pirates fans were not best pleased. “At the :50 mark. This is totally embarrassing and self-important. This guy — Bethany Hallam’s boyfriend — sang the anthem last night at the Pirates game and changed the lyrics to “…and the rockets’...

The Texas Rangers have sparked anger among LGBTQ+ groups by again refusing to host a Pride Night during the Major League Baseball season. Texas stands alone among the 30 MLB teams but they responded to fury from campaigners by insisting that they are welcoming to all baseball fans. In September 2003, however, two years after the Chicago Cubs hosted what is considered the first Pride game, the Rangers invited local LGBTQ+ groups to a game as part of a fundraising event. Some Rangers fans expressed opposition and there were even some protests outside the stadium before the game. DeeJay Johannessen...

CeCé Telfer, a transgender athlete who won an NCAA women’s track and field championship in 2019, vowed in a recent interview to return to indoor competition and come away with wins. Telfer sparked controversy earlier this year with wins in indoor track meets in the New England area. However, with a new book out, Telfer vowed to take home more than just a medal. "I look forward to indoor track, because 2024 indoors is going to be epic," Telfer said in an interview with Them. "My dreams were taken away from me once again. So I plan on going back...

CROMWELL – As Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim prepared to decide the Travelers Championship on the 18th green at TPC River Highlands on Sunday, there was a disruption.A group of five climate protesters ran down from the hill and through the greenside bunkers with red and white smoke canisters. Chased by police, the first man was taken down outside the bunker while two other canisters were thrown onto the green, leaving red and white residue.Four of the protesters were wearing shirts that read: “No golf on a dead planet.”All five were carried away in handcuffs by police while the gallery...

In recent years, the NFL has made a concerted effort to show its unwavering support of the LGBTQ community. And don't expect that to stop anytime soon. It started in April 2017 when the NFL hosted an LGBTQ Pride discussion panel at its New York City headquarters. That event marked the official launch of the league's LGBTQ employee affinity group, NFL Pride. About 150 people — including commissioner Roger Goodell — sat and listened as openly gay former professional athletes discussed steps the league could take to be more inclusive for the gay community. In an exclusive interview with Outsports...

There’s exciting news for all of you tight ends and ball handlers. The Buffalo Bills is going gay.The NFL team announced it will partner with the National Gay Flag Football League and launch a chapter in Buffalo.