Women Deserve Their Own Sports And Spaces
- Sey was a whistleblower on abuse in gymnastics, exposing a known pedophile coach.
- Sey defends WNBA player Sophie Cunningham for defending women's sports spaces.
- Sey remains optimistic that the culture is shifting to protect women's sports.
Women Deserve Their Own Sports And Spaces
In a world where the lines between sports and politics are increasingly blurred, a culture war is raging over women’s sports. At the forefront of this battle is Jennifer Sey, the CEO and founder of XX-XY Athletics, who joined Tony Katz Today to discuss the importance of preserving women’s sports and spaces. As a former national team gymnast and whistleblower who exposed the abuse of Larry Nassar, Jennifer has dedicated her career to protecting female athletes and promoting a culture of safety and respect.
“I was a national team member gymnast throughout the eighties, and I was also the first whistleblower about abuse in sports and gymnastics in particular,” Jennifer said. “I wrote my first book, Chalked Up, ten years before Nassar went to prison for life. I spoke about the national team coach who I traveled around the world with being a known pedophile. That did not go particularly well for me, but I knew I needed to say it because I didn’t want another little girl to go through what I had.”
Jennifer’s experiences as a gymnast and whistleblower have given her a unique perspective on the culture of abuse that pervades women’s sports. “Abuse of coaches, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse is rampant in the sport of gymnastics,” she said. “These are very young girls and they are very vulnerable. Because it’s an individual sport, that one-on-one coaching dynamic is more intense, I think, than in a team sport, and it just invites bad actors.”
The conversation turned to the recent controversy surrounding Sophie Cunningham, a WNBA player who stated that girls’ sports are for girls. While some have criticized Cunningham for her comments, Jennifer defended her, saying, “She didn’t back down. She didn’t bend to any pressure. She stood strong, her spine is straight. Bless her.” Jennifer also criticized the WNBA for its handling of the issue, saying, “The institutions, they’re far behind. The mainstream media is far behind. Their headlines don’t match where the culture is and where the people are.”
Jennifer’s own experiences with harassment and threats have made her a vocal advocate for women’s sports and spaces. “I want Sophie to know that she’s supported,” she said. “We go in peace and we go in love. We bring balloons, we give out T-shirts, we have fun. We get shouted down by insane lunatics who call us terrible, terrible names.” Despite the challenges, Jennifer remains optimistic about the future, saying, “The culture is moving. We have long heard that eighty percent of Americans agree on this common sense issue that women’s sports are for women, but the vast majority have been silent.”
As the culture war over women’s sports continues to rage, Jennifer Sey’s message is clear: women deserve their own sports and spaces, and it’s time to take a stand. To hear more from Jennifer Sey and Tony Katz, listen to the full episode of this podcast, where they delve into the complexities of this issue and explore the importance of preserving women’s sports and spaces.
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