Bigotry or biology? Basketball dad speaks out on fairness in women’s sports amid trans athlete controversy

In recent weeks, legacy media has spotlighted the story of Harriette Mackenzie, a Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners basketball player who is biologically male but identifies as female.

Mackenzie’s claims of being physically targeted by opponents and called out by a Columbia Bible College (CBC) coach who raised safety and fairness concerns about her players competing against Mackenzie, along with an outpouring of support for Mackenzie, have dominated headlines.

The articles covering the story largely fail to convey just how much Mackenzie, who is no ordinary player, has dominated female competitors in the sport under the governance of the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST).

According to the Mariners’ website, just last year, the six-foot-two player “was the MVP of nationals and was PacWest Player of the Year both for women’s basketball and across all sports" along with being "a CCAA All-Canadian and a first-team PacWest all-star.”

These are achievements that, according to an Instagram video released by Mackenzie, are not due to having male biology because she began transitioning prior to puberty.

The world has heard Mackenzie, and today Rebel News brings you the other side of the story—a father representing many voices of the female athletes who are being forced to compete under unfair and discouraging conditions.

Jae Park, a father of four, including a daughter who plays with the Columbia Bible College women’s Bearcats basketball team, has decided to break the silence. Park says the Bearcats are more than just a team accused of intentionally targeting Mackenzie; they’re a group of young women, many much smaller than the Mariners’ six-foot-two basketball star, who’ve worked hard to achieve their athletic success.

This father isn’t just standing up for his daughter; he’s standing up for all the young women who feel silenced, sidelined, and disempowered by a system that prioritizes “inclusion” over fairness and equality.

Mackenzie reports being thrown to the ground by a CBC player during the recent game at the centre of the controversy, and showed video of a foul during the game to support the claim in her video statement. Mackenzie further alleged that the Bearcats coach, Taylor Claggett, encouraged this behaviour.

In a statement shared with Rebel News. CBC has denied the claims of bigotry or intentional harm, noting that the flagged incident did not result in injury or player ejections and that both players continued in the game. CBC condemned online harassment of its players and staff following the release of Mackenzie’s video statement.

Rebel News was also provided with a statement from CBC coach Claggett, who described the video as attacking her character and slandering her name:

“This video was edited and scripted to show one side of a story that is highly inaccurate. Although this may be how this athlete feels, it is simply untrue to who I am and what I believe as a person, a coach, and a leader. I have, and always will, love people for who they are and who they want to be. I have coached and taught kids from many walks of life and have fought for them to have equal rights in the classroom and on the court. This video was triggered by the fact that I have concerns around the safety of female athletes. I know people have differing views on this matter, and I respect all opinions on this subject. My intention has nothing to do with a specific athlete, but instead, the safety of female athletes in their sport.”

Rebel News reached out to the VIU Mariners women’s basketball team coach and Mackenzie to invite them to comment further on this report but did not hear back by the time of publishing.

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