The Phoenix Mercury player, Brittney Griner, isn’t trans and has previously identified as a lesbian. Griner has faced accusations of being a man because of her masculine look.
Griner has always been vocal about trans men’s and women’s rights. People on the internet for several years have made conspiracy theories that Brittney is a man because of how her body looks.
But Griner says at this point she doesn’t care what people think of her. In one of her interviews, Griner said she loves how her body looks and doesn’t mind being different.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, Griner, hasn’t been listed among the 12 players who will represent the US at the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament. A’ja Wilson is another big name left off the qualifying roster.
Is Brittney Griner Trans?
Brittney Griner being trans is a false rumor that has been going on for a long time. Griner had previously talked about being called a man in an interview with ESPN in 2015.
Almost a decade later, several people still accuse Brittney Griner of being a man simply because she doesn’t have a feminine look. On X (formerly Twitter), you can find many accounts sharing conspiracy theories that Brittney is trans and that she was born a man.
In her 2015 ESPN interview, Brittney said she was aware of the comments made on her body. She described herself as athletically lanky and said she was comfortable with her body.
Griner said, “Honestly, I like how unique it is. My big arms, my bigger hands, these long legs-I love being different. If everybody were the same, it would be a boring-ass world.”
Brittney further said that she had heard people say, “Oh, she’s not a female, she’s a male. Oh, she’s tucking stuff. Let me show that I embrace the flatness! I just want people to see somebody who embraces being naked, embraces everything about them being different.
Griner said when she was younger, she had been bullied for her size and her voice, which had always been deep.
During her interview, Griner also shared the story of how she was forced to use a men’s room in China after a lady pushed her out and was hysterically shocked that Brittney had entered the women’s bathroom.
But during the interview, Brittney said she had learned to accept her body and didn’t understand what people thought she was hiding.
Griner Is A Trans Ally
Last year, Griner, in her first press conference as a Phoenix Mercury player, said she supports trans women. In her press conference, Brittney said it would be a crime to ban trans women from competing against their biological counterparts in sports.
She had previously spoken against Texas’ Senate Bill 3 (SB3) in 2017 alongside Layshia Clarendon. The WNBA athletes said the legislation would pose more obstacles for transgender athletes.
Griner and Clarendon also questioned the lawmakers, who said the legislation was to “protect women.” The two said as athletes, they were not worried about the imagined threat of a transgender person.
Brittney Griner Sexuality
The WNBA star came out as a lesbian in her interview with SI.com on February 11, 2013. At the time, Brittney became the most prominent openly gay basketball player in the world.
In an interview with ESPN in 2021, Griner said she decided to come out publicly because she didn’t want anyone else to go through what she went through. She didn’t want others to feel they were not being true to themselves.
Griner said she didn’t have anybody to look up to when she was young. This made her want to be an example for others. The WNBA star said she receives hundreds of messages that read, “You helped me, you inspired me.”
Griner believes these messages are bigger than any gold medal or any award. Griner is married to Cherelle, whom she met when they were students at Baylor University.
The two got engaged in 2018 and tied the knot a year later in June 2019. When Brittney was detained in Russia, Cherelle spoke up about Brittney’s detainment during an interview with Good Morning America and even met President Joe Biden, requesting his help.
Finally, in December 2022, Griner was released from custody in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout.
