Possible future Hall of Fame pitcher and ESPN analyst Curt Schilling has once again shown that he’d rather be known for his bigoted political views than all of his skill on the mound and in the broadcast booth. Just seven months after serving a lengthy suspension for equating Muslims to Nazis, he posted a hateful image to his Facebook page regarding North Carolina’s law banning transgender individuals from using bathrooms of the gender with which they identify.
The image has since been deleted, but Outsports screen captured it:
Whoever the person is in that photo, we hope they’re living their truth, and we’re sure they wouldn’t appreciate being held up as a bogeyman or directly accused of being a predator simply because they’re dressed like that. And even so, it’s a deeply troubling and insulting image to lump everyone transgender in with this one image — they’re as diverse as cisgendered people and just as worthy of respect.
Obviously, the outrage has come fast and furious, and it prompted a defiant blog post from Schilling which could be read as him denying he posted the image, but is directed mostly with anger outwards at people who were offended by it. Here’s a sample: “You frauds out there ranting and screaming about my ‘opinions’ (even if it isn’t) and comments are screaming for ‘tolerance’ and ‘acceptance’ while you refuse to do and be either.”
So yeah, pretty much the classic, Trump-ian it’s not my fault you’re offended, I just tell it like it is dismissal of other people’s feelings. When asked about how his employers might view his recent social media action, Schilling had a more realistic view:
Curt Schilling says he's still employed by ESPN as of now but "I would assume I'll be talking to some people today"
— Mut at Night (@MutAtNightWEEI) April 20, 2016
He also claimed it was a re-post not meant for the public, but he should know by now: The internet is no place to hide. After repeated instances of hateful rhetoric on social media, it’s fair to wonder if Schilling’s time at ESPN really is up — after all, when ESPN suspended him last September, they said, “At all times during the course of their engagement with us, our commentators are directly linked to ESPN and are the face of our brand.” That picture above is not something the worldwide leader wants connected to them.
(Via Outsports)
