UNR women's volleyball team forfeits match against transgender athlete-led SJSU

By lauraharris // 2024-10-28

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The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) forfeited its Mountain West Conference volleyball match against San Jose State University (SJSU) on Oct. 26. SJSU is led by transgender athlete Blaire Fleming. Both schools earlier announced that the match was relocated from UNR's campus to SJSU's Yoshi Unchida Hall due to the possibility that the UNR team might not compete against the SJSU team. (Related: Female volleyball player slams Dem lawmakers who deny that trans athletes cause harm.) Before the relocation, Nevada players had already expressed their reluctance to play in the upcoming volleyball match due to the inclusion of a transgender player in the team of SJSU. However, Nevada's state law prevents the program from forfeiting the match. "The university made the decision not to declare a forfeiture and move forward with hosting the match as scheduled based on several factors. As a public university, the university is legally prohibited by Section 24 of the Nevada Constitution and other laws and regulations to declare a forfeit for reasons related to gender identity or expression," a Nevada spokesperson said. In 2022, Nevada revised its constitution and included gender identity in its Equal Rights Amendment protections. Meaning, forfeiting the match against SJSU would be in conflict with Nevada's law. In line with this, the universities agreed to relocate the match. "The Mountain West Conference women's volleyball match between Nevada and San Jose State University scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26, has been moved from Reno, Nevada, to San Jose, California. The decision to move the location of the match has been made in the best interest of both programs and the well-being of the student-athletes, coaches, athletic staff and spectators. The decision has been made with the approval of the Mountain West Conference," read the joint statement released on Oct. 22. By relocating the game to its own campus, SJSU claimed the victory without traveling to Nevada.

SJSU athlete applauds Nevada players for defending women sports

Brooke Slusser, an SJSU athlete who filed a lawsuit against the gender identity policies of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), applauded the players of Nevada for defending women's sports. "Round of applause to the girls of the @NevadaWolfPackvolleyball team," Slusser wrote on X. "Deciding to go against what the school was forcing on you as young women and taking a stand for what you believe takes courage! Another great step in the right direction for women's sports!" Slusser joined Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and prominent advocate of women's sports, in her lawsuit against the NCAA. Slusser alleges that she shared locker rooms and other personal spaces with a transgender teammate for two years before becoming aware of the athlete's chosen gender. She claims that this revelation has had a lasting impact on her sense of privacy and trust within the team environment. Unfortunately, her involvement in the lawsuit has reportedly made her a target of threats and disturbing messages, including a direct message warning her teammates to "keep their distance" from her on game day. Follow GenderConfused.com for more news about transgender athletes. Watch the video below about former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines calling out the "systemic attempt to erase women" in favor of trans athletes.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

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SJSU athlete applauds Nevada players for defending women sports

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