Schilling dubs ESPN commentators 'racists' after firing

How Curt Schilling's use of social media to promote his political ideas led to his firing from ESPN, and the influence high-profile opinions have on the fight for transgender rights.

By Evan Needell, Larry King Now


The old adage says that one should never talk about politics. However, there have been several incidents in recent months where public platforms provided by social media have gotten certain high-profile personalities into trouble.

The latest casualty? Former MLB pitcher and now former ESPN Analyst Curt Schilling. Schilling was recently fired from ESPN following an anti-transgender post to one of his social media accounts.

The post, since deleted, featured a conservative meme regarding transgender rights, made in light of North Carolina’s recently passed law banning transgender individuals from bathrooms that do not correspond with their biological gender. Schilling accompanied the post with the following commentary:

“A man is a man no matter what they call themselves. I don’t care what they are, who they sleep with, men’s room was designed for the penis, women’s not so much. Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic.”

This is not Schilling’s first brouhaha on social media. The MLB vet - who's struggled to secure enough votes for the Hall of Fame - was previously suspended from ESPN for another social post he made comparing Islamic extremists to German Nazis during WWII.

Since Schilling’s firing from ESPN, there has been considerable pushback from social conservatives. Many point to this as another example of the censoring of conservative opinions by left wing media. In an interview with Breitbart, Schilling fired back at his former employer:

Some of the most racist things I’ve ever heard have come out of people that are on the air at ESPN. They’re some of the biggest racists in sports commentating... The memo that went out to everybody went out to all of us the same, which is: If you are a sport person stick to sports, don’t get involved in the political arena… In the end for me it felt like that rule applied to me and me alone because I was conservative.”

The balance between an individual’s free speech and a company’s public image can be extremely difficult in today’s social media landscape. This is particularly true when it comes to social issues such as LGBT rights.

Check out Larry King's interview above featuring a panel of experts for insight on these issues, including the affects of widely broadcasted beliefs high-profile figures such as Curt Schilling, and what needs to be done to ensure a better quality of life for the transgender community.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.

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