Hate And Basketball — Why Michael Jordan Needs To Step Up

For many basketball fans, the game’s epicenter lies in North Carolina. Growing up, I was a University of North Carolina Tar Heel fan through and through. From Michael Jordan to Jerry Stackhouse and countless others, the program has churned out an incredible number of talents, many of whom have gone on to stellar careers in the NBA. I can still remember Dante Calabria splashing threes from all over the court. I was such a big fan of Jordan, in fact, I had one of those measuring posters with his full-size image when I was a kid. He was my first “hero.” Up until a few days ago, attending a Duke-UNC game had been No. 1 on my bucket list.

On Wednesday, I was horrified to watch a special session of the North Carolina state legislature pass “House Bill 2,” which essentially legalizes discrimination against transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual people. (For what it’s worth, the bill also allows discrimination against several other groups, including the disabled and military veterans.) The bill was proposed, debated, passed, and signed into law in less than 24 hours. Worse yet, proponents of the law used people like me, transgender women, as political targets, calling for our de facto erasure from public life.

What prompted the law’s proposal was a non-discrimination bill passed by the Charlotte City Council that extended protections against job, housing and public accommodation discrimination against LGBT people and other minorities. Hundreds of other municipalities, counties and states have enacted similar protections, but critics of these laws make the spurious claim that letting transgender people use public bathrooms in accordance to their gender identities would allow “men to use the ladies’ room.”

Not only does coloring reality (to put it very generously) in this way ignore the plight of transgender people — research shows four in 10 transgender people attempt to kill themselves — but it also fosters an environment of ignorance. But by playing to America’s fears of transgender people, North Carolina Republicans (who control both houses and the Governorship) have actually chosen to eliminate rights for a much wider swath of the population than originally advertised.

Thankfully, the unfortunate developments in North Carolina have gotten the attention of the NBA, who released the following statement regarding the new law:

“The NBA is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all who attend our games and events. We are deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles of equality and mutual respect and do not yet know what impact it will have on our ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte.”

The NCAA also condemned the new law, saying:

“We’ll continue to monitor current events, which include issues surrounding diversity, in all cities bidding on NCAA championships and events, as well as cities that have already been named as future host sites. Our commitment to the fair treatment of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, has not changed and is at the core of our NCAA values. It is our expectation that all people will be welcomed and treated with respect in cities that host our NCAA championships and events.”

Naturally, threatening to move high-profile sporting events out the state would hit North Carolina in the pocketbook, but more important, it sends LGBT and transgender sports fans a message that we matter to those in charge.

Sports have long served an important role in politics and matters of socioeconomic progress in this country. When Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier, it was much of white America’s first real glimpse at the life of an African American man.

Enter MJ.

I can’t help but think the current situation presents a unique opportunity for my old childhood hero, who remains the face of North Carolina basketball (and currently owns the Charlotte Hornets). Much ink has been spilled over Jordan’s lifelong aversion to political stands in favor of counting his hundreds of millions of dollars, but maybe if the current groundswell of opposition continues, he’ll have no choice but to cease looking the other way.

North Carolina, of course, is by no means the only state contemplating these so-called “bathroom bills.” To date, no fewer than 16 other states have proposed 30 such pieces of legislation — all supposedly in the name of protecting women and children. But let’s take a deeper look at the main thrust of the argument being used to trample the rights of LGBT Americans: That protecting the trans people would allow “men in women’s rooms.”

FACT: When trans women like me actually try to adhere to the “rules,” and attempt to use the men’s room, we are almost always kicked out. It goes without saying that most men assume a person wearing a skirt don’t belong in their restrooms.

So, what ends up happening is that we then must disclose our transgender status to anyone that challenges our right to be in a particular restroom. Imagine having to disclose material and private medical information each and every time you had to pee — to a total stranger! Not to mention the harsh reality that doing so puts my life and well being at risk, depending on the open mindedness of those same strangers.

No thanks, I’d rather stay at home.

There are those that suggest that I should simply use only single stall family bathrooms. This is a great idea, in theory, and I seek these out wherever I go. Unfortunately, my New England town has no restaurants or grocery stores with such facilities. Think of your favorite sports venue; can you name where the family bathroom is?

Additionally, as part of my medical transition, I’ll be starting on Spironolactone, a testosterone blocker that comes with the rather inconvenient side effect of causing much more frequent visits to the bathroom that the average person.

Ultimately, “bathroom bills” are a solution in search of a problem. Those jurisdictions I mentioned earlier — the ones that have had non-discrimination laws on the books for years and years — have not seen a single reported incidence of violence or sexual impropriety. Anywhere. IN the entire country. Not only that, but sexual assault and violence in public bathrooms are already illegal. And that doesn’t even address the 70 percent of trans people who have reported being harassed or assaulted in a public bathroom.

The North Carolina law requires trans men (those assigned a female gender at birth) to use women’s rooms, so dudes with beards will surely now be a common sight in the ladies’ room. Whoops!

Clearly, NC lawmakers and Governor McCrory haven’t thought through the consequences of their actions, and it’s heartening to see both the NBA and NCAA speaking up. I mean, if locker rooms are strictly segregated by “biological sex,” will Geno Auriemma be allowed to coach his team at halftime when UConn visits East Carolina? Will Becky Hammon, assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, be allowed to interact with her team in the locker room when they play the Hornets?

Simply put, Republican lawmakers who enacted this bill — and ones like them nationwide — do not want transgender people like me to exist. They will stop at nothing to make our transitions as difficult and problematic as possible until we eventually break and give up our charade. That is, if we don’t attempt suicide at least once in their lives. I have, and transgender people like me can often blame societal treatment, which is far and away the main driver of suicidal attempts.

Maybe, just maybe, His Airness has an opinion on the matter.

As a kid, I wanted to “be like Mike.” I wore Air Jordans and tried to imitate his moves on the court. I always wore number 23, no matter the sport — just like a whole lot of other LBGT kids. Jordan’s silence on this issue would be deafening, as trans people like me are increasingly leveraged out of public life in his home state. For the Hornets, thousands of potential customers are now at risk of erasure, never to return. As a kid I, used to measure myself against MJ every day. Now it’s on him to measure against what the times demand: courage in the face of cruelty, justice where only hate and fear have prevailed.

I’ve grown up quite a bit since those bygone days. As a person, I need no longer look up to Michael Jordan; I’m taller than him in my heels now. As an agent of social change, though, I only wish I could be proud of him again.

The NBA and NCAA are both sticking up for LGBT people like me, and trans people, in particular, but I urge them both to suspend their backing of big events in the state of North Carolina. They cannot count on me as a fan and consumer while also sitting idly by while my right to exist in public is erased. I’m not some scary monster; I’m a woman who uses public restrooms. My heart breaks for my trans friends that happen to live in North Carolina, and I hope they finally find safe refuge somewhere soon. Preferably at home, where they live, until these laws are overturned or repealed outright.

For now, my lifelong dream of seeing a Duke-North Carolina basketball game live will sadly be put on hold, and I will continue to wait on MJ to take a very public stand in support of those who have long supported him.

Katelyn Burns is a trans woman and essayist, though her high school self would scoff at both notions. Her previous work has been featured in The Cauldron by Sports Illustrated, as well as Harlot Media. She lives in a small town New England with her kids and is just beginning to transition to living as her true self. You can find her on Twitter @closettransgirl.