State-funded NPR got blasted by proponents of truth and fairness for its wildly inaccurate, and ultimately Twitter fact-checked, claim that trans athletes were being banned from international competition “despite limited scientific research.”
NPR, which is funded by taxpayers and promotes rigid far-left intolerance, wrote a lengthy article slamming the World Athletics Council for its surprisingly courageous declaration and later tweeted about the decision. It was on Twitter that NPR especially felt the wrath of users fed up with overt left-wing propaganda.
“The international governing body for track and field will ban trans women athletes from elite women’s competitions, citing a priority for fairness over inclusion, despite limited scientific research involving elite trans athletes,” the government news organization tweeted earlier this week.
After righteously intense pushback, the outlet walked back its initial posturing without ever apologizing for or owning the mistake.
“Correction: An earlier tweet incorrectly stated there is limited scientific evidence of physical advantage,” the same account reacted. “Existing research shows that higher levels of testosterone do impact athletic performance. But there’s limited research involving elite trans athletes in competition.”
Correction: An earlier tweet incorrectly stated there is limited scientific evidence of physical advantage. Existing research shows that higher levels of testosterone do impact athletic performance. But there’s limited research involving elite trans athletes in competition.
— NPR (@NPR) March 26, 2023
Translation: NPR isn’t sorry one bit for what it said and will still promote its own version of reality despite all evidence to the contrary. Follow the science? Fact-checkers have spoken? Apparently, that only counts if it rebuts conservatives.
Expanding on its bad take, NPR penned a lengthy article condemning the track and field organization’s decision to ban biological men from traditional women’s competitions, writing:
At the center of the issue is whether transgender women athletes have a physical advantage over other female competitors, even after lowering their testosterone levels. But there is limited scientific research involving elite transgender athletes — which the council also acknowledged.
World Athletics Council said that they have conducted their own research over the past decade and that they found there can be an impact in performance. Several international groups including the Human Rights Watch have called the council’s evidence flawed.
After the “correction,” many voices chimed in, with various degrees of appreciation for the faux effort.
Thank you for correcting yourself,” wrote Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk.
“The NPR correction is an attempt to save face when presented with scientific reality. The fact that they would still try argue that there’s insufficient research on *elite* trans athletes is also silly. There’s a reason why professional sports are separated by gender,” wrote another, clearly not as impressed.
“Once again state-funded media is twisting logic to advance their idiotic narrative that women with prior experience as women aren’t stronger than women without experience. Of course, there are individuals who are weaker or stronger than people of the opposite sex, but it is a scientific fact that generally men are stronger than women – even those who declare themselves to be women,” commented another.
“It’s not just about testosterone, @npr. It’s about the SRY gene on the Y chromosome organizing a whole evolved suite of adaptive hormonal, gene-regulatory, morphological, & physiological adaptations throughout life that constitute being biologically male. Stop reducing everything to simplistic hormonal effects. It’s embarrassing and anti-scientific,” another user disabused.
“Why is the controversy about transwomen playing in women’s sports and not transmen playing in men’s sports?” asked another commenter?
“There is limited research to show that a team of 65-year-old people, in a rainbow of gender IDs and all under 5’4″ in height, would be beaten by the FAU Men’s Basketball team. Therefore, we cannot say that the 6’8″ tall 20-year-olds would have a physical advantage,” wrote another, mocking NPR’s premise for the pretend apology.
Coincidence or not, the timing of NPR’s article came at a time just when ESPN celebrated one of its NCAA swimmers in March.
ESPN celebrated Women’s History Month by promoting a special about transgender swimmer Lia Thomas……a biological male who destroyed real women in the pool. pic.twitter.com/gVLa0rz2NN
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) March 26, 2023
Featured image: Screen shot from embedded
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