Nevada women's volleyball players announce forfeit against squad with transgender athlete, but school rejects their vote



The University of Nevada said its female volleyball players did not consult with the school or its athletic department when they voted to forfeit a match against San Jose State University — which features a male on its women's team — and that the match will go forward "as scheduled."

Blaze News has chronicled the ongoing controversy surrounding SJSU and its male athlete, who goes by the name Blaire Fleming, born Brayden.

'No players will be subject to any team disciplinary action for their decision not to participate in the match.'

At 6'1'', Fleming's inclusion on the women's volleyball team has resulted in four opposing teams forfeiting matches against SJSU: Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State, and Wyoming.

Nevada appeared to be the next team to throw in the towel after the ladies from the Wolfpack released a statement announcing their refusal to participate in a match that would jeopardize their safety.

"We, the University of Nevada Reno women's volleyball team, forfeit against San Jose State University and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University," the statement read, according to OutKick's Dan Zaksheske.

The statement added that "we demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes."

An outspoken SJSU player, Brooke Slusser, praised Nevada for its forfeit decision.

"Round of applause to the girls of the Nevada Wolfpack volleyball team. 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 wrote on X.

— (@)

However, after the Nevada women issued their notice to forfeit, school officials responded with a statement of their own, denying the validity of the team's decision.

"On Oct. 13, 2024, the majority of members of the University of Nevada, Reno, women's volleyball team sent a statement to the University advising the institution that they were forfeiting its scheduled match with San Jose State University on Oct. 26, 2024," the statement read.

"The players' decision and statement were made independently, and without consultation with the University or the athletic department. The players’ decision also does not represent the position of the University," the school continued.

School representatives then cited state law, federal law, and NCAA regulations as the basis for their decision: "The University and its athletic programs are governed by the Nevada Constitution and Nevada law, which strictly protect equality of rights under the law, and that equality of rights shall not be denied or abridged by this state or any of its subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin. The University is also governed by federal law as well as the rules and regulations of the NCAA and the Mountain West Conference, which include providing competition in an inclusive and supportive environment."

School officials added that "the university intends to move forward with the match as scheduled, and the players may choose not to participate in the match on the day of the contest. No players will be subject to any team disciplinary action for their decision not to participate in the match."

It was suspected in recent weeks that the Nevada women's volleyball team was considering its forfeit after the mother of player Carissa Chainey gave an interview to the Daily Signal in which she remarked that she is "scared for every single player" who plays against Fleming due to a heightened injury risk.

SJSU has avoided addressing its competition advantage with a male player and has simply listed the forfeits as "no contest" on its schedule.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Transgender attacker menaces man with shoe, then punches him in face on NYC subway platform, leaving victim bloody, cops say



A transgender male identifying as a female menaced a man with a shoe, then punched him in face on a New York City subway platform over the weekend, leaving the victim's forehead bloody, police said.

What are the details?

Police told WPIX-TV the incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. Saturday at Grand Central station in Manhattan. Officers and emergency medical services were recorded on video attending to the 39-year-old victim, who was seen holding a cloth to his forehead as blood dripped down his hand.

The victim was loaded into an ambulance and taken to NYU Langone in stable condition, the station said.

Police said the attacker fled the scene, no one was arrested, and it remains unclear what led to the attack, WPIX said.

The station said the attack left subway riders concerned about transit safety.

“It has been like people getting attacked by random people,” Ruben Morales, who has been riding the subway since he can remember, told WPIX.

Subway rider Chris J. added to the station that "it is New York, and you just gotta stay safe, no matter where you are. Just be vigilant of your surroundings."

WPIX, citing NYPD data, noted that subway crime is down more than 23% in March. Mayor Eric Adams previously attributed the drop in subway crime to the addition of 1,000 officers to keep watch, the station said.

Morales didn't seem convinced, telling WPIX that officials "are more worried people hopping the train instead of people getting attacked here. So, they all stay near the upstairs instead of coming down ... being around the people."

Transgender woman punches man on subway platform: NYPD youtu.be

How are observers reacting?

Nearly 1,000 comments have popped up under the WPIX story published on Yahoo News — and many of them are not happy:

  • "Crime in the subway is down 23%? Go tell those that have been punched, killed, and outright victimized by criminals," one commenter wrote.
  • "Transmania," another commenter declared. "From middle schools to subways."
  • "Probably called him 'he' and refused to use his preferred pronouns," another commenter quipped.
  • "Hate crime?" another commenter wondered with tongue firmly in cheek.
  • "When 2 + 2 = Wednesday, this is what you get," another commenter pointed out.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

College sorority accepts biological male who identifies as female after allegedly ignoring members' concerns



The Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at the University of Wyoming counts among its more notable sisters Democrat U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (New York), designer Kate Spade, Massachusetts' first female governor Jane Swift, and actress Ashley Judd.

And as of this year, a man.

What are the details?

Kappa Kappa Gamma is the first sorority in the history of the school to accept a biological male who identifies as female into its sisterhood, according to campus paper the Branding Iron. The local chapter, led by Jamie Neugebauer, allegedly arrived at the decision by majority vote.

Artemis Langford — the student headed into the sorority — told the paper, "I feel so glad to be in a place that I think not only shares my values, but to be in a sisterhood of awesome women that want to make history."

"They want to break the glass ceiling, trailblazing you know, and I certainly feel that as their first trans member, at least in the chapter in Wyoming history," Langford added.

The term "glass ceiling" was coined by Marilyn Loden in 1978, and referenced invisible barriers that obstructed biological women from pursuing and obtaining positions of authority.

Langford suggested that acceptance should not be based on what an applicant's "identity is or what their orientation is."

Concerns ignored?

The Cowboy State Daily, a local news outfit, reported having been inundated by messages from persons expressing concerns "about living situations and facilities usage in the sorority home," but noted "those people declined to be identified or comment publicly out of fear for social repercussions."

One KKG woman told the National Review that chapter leaders and other senior members had discounted concerns about accepting a man into the sisterhood. The source claimed that one KKG member said, "It's 2022. If you vote no, it better be for, like, literal issues with that new member or else it's homophobic."

Another senior member allegedly said, "If your only concerns are about her living in the house, you are thinking too far down the road."

KKG permits all sorority members to live in a chapter facility to "enhance the experience."

Of the 12 pledges required to spend the night together during initiation, 10 allegedly objected to sleeping in the same room as Langford.

The NR's anonymous source also indicated that Langford has "absolutely not" physically transitioned to female; that Langford is a "big guy" who has "made no efforts to physically look like a girl ... He's just calling himself a girl."

Langford told the Branding Iron that he understands where his detractors are coming from, "but at the end of the day I wish that they would see me as who I am."

Anything else?

In 2021, the sorority produced a "Guide for Supporting Out LGBTQI+ Members," which stated, "Kappa Kappa Gamma is a single-gender organization comprised of women and individuals who identify as women whose governing documents do not discriminate in membership selection except by requiring good scholarship and ethical character."

The guide detailed ways to "Be an Ally."

It recommended that individuals "not make or perpetuate assumptions about someone's Sexual orientation or Gender identity"; "Ask LGBTQIA+ ... individuals how you can support them"; "Understand your own culture, socialization, prejudices, and privileges"; and "Always refer to people by the names and pronouns they refer."

The guide, released by a formerly women's-only sorority, further demanded the use of "words that encompass all genders, sexual orientations and family units. For example, 'people of all genders' instead of 'women and men'; 'children' instead of 'boys and girls'; 'parents instead of 'mom and dad.'"

KKG revised its bylaws in 2022, embracing the National Panhellenic Council's 2020 policies concerning transgender individuals, which state a "woman is defined as an individual who consistently lives and self-identifies as a woman." Other sororities on campus have reportedly adopted this language as well.

This transmogrification of the language permits the sorority to assert that it is in keeping with the "single-gender nature of our organization ... essential to the mission and purpose of Kappa Kappa Gamma and its chapters and alumnae associations."