Trans college basketball star Harriet Mackenzie has spoken out, saying that “all trans people should be included in sports.”
The Canadian player, who plays for Vancouver Island University team, explained that she began transitioning in ‘kindergarten or first grade’, adding: ‘I’m playing at a major biological disadvantage.
‘I never went through male puberty, I only went through female puberty.’
The forward has hit the headlines in recent months after she claimed she was subjected to both physical and verbal abuse by a recent opponent and its coach.
Mackenzie and her Vancouver Island University teammates were supposed to be playing twice against Columbia Bible College (CBC) in Abbotsford, British Columbia but claimed they do not feel safe enough to do so.
The two schools played a pair of games on consecutive days in October 2024 and Mackenzie has accused CBC coach Taylor Claggett of applauding rough play on her.
In a video posted to Instagram on October 30, she also alleged that Claggett cornered a Vancouver Island staffer and insisted she shouldn’t be able to play women’s basketball during a ‘tirade’ after their first game.
The following morning, Mackenzie also received a call from her upset coach who wanted to alert her to social media posts made by somebody close to Claggett.
The posts were critical of Mackenzie and said ‘keep women’s sports, women’s sports’, ‘complete joke’ and ‘make it make sense’.
Mackenzie also accused CBC of ‘trying to injure me’ during the second game between the two schools.
In her Instagram post, she cited one clip of her being thrown to the floor by a CBC player and a second that appeared to show Claggett applauding the action on the sideline.
All 13 players on the Vancouver Island University squad have signed a letter to the Pacific Western Athletic Association, the conference in which both teams compete, insisting they do not feel safe to play CBC.
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