As a high-level coach with strong convictions, LSU’s Kim Mulkey often draws tough questions — and he was presented with another one during his Final Four press conference Thursday regarding the issue of transgender athletes in sports.
Mulkey said she had the conversation years ago with her athletic director at Baylor.
“I just think I’m sensitive to those on one side, and yet I’m also sensitive to those on the other side,” she said. “Does this make sense? Is this a good, politically correct response to not getting in trouble?”
“When this topic became apparent, when I was at Baylor, I had this conversation with the athletic director. So, I was kind of ahead of the curve. I had a conversation. ‘What if?’ I never got a response. And I’ll leave it there. But I was very aware of it. But I also want you to know that I have conversations with transgender people who don’t believe they should compete with biological women, and I find that really interesting.
“So you ask questions. You’re human. You want to hear sides of stories and offer what you think, but at the end of the day, no one cares what I think. No one cares, but thanks for asking.”
The NCAA had previously allowed transgender women to participate in women’s sports if they took at least one year of anti-testosterone treatment.
The issue has evolved into a politically charged debate in college athletics with the success of Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender woman who won the NCAA championship in the 500-yard freestyle in 2021.
Last year, the NCAA adopted a new policy requiring the organization to determine the qualifications required for the participation of transgender collegiate athletes in each particular sport.
In June, the Louisiana State Legislature passed a bill banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports (Governor John Bel Edwards let it become law without his signature).
Last week, the World Athletics Council, which governs international athletics, announced it would ban transgender female athletes from competing in elite women’s competitions.
In Texas on Wednesday, the state Senate approved a bill that would limit the number of transgender athletes who can join college sports teams.
