CNN pundit melts down, screams about 'transphobia' when faced with the truth that Americans don't think 'boys should play girls' sports'

A CNN panel on NewsNight with Abby Phillip got contentious on Friday when the pundits attempted to get into some reasons why Kamala Harris lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. "I think there are a lot of families out there," ventured GOP strategist Shermichael Singleton, "who don't beleive that boys should play girls' sports—"

Before he could even make his point fully, he was interrupted by a pundit who spoke over him, declaring "They're not boys! I am not going to listen to transphobia at this table!"

"It's not true," said a woman.

Trump ran an effective ad in many states promising to make it illegal for boys to play in girls' sports at any education level or for boys or men to use girls' or women's bathroom and locker room facilities.

"I am gonna listen to you call a trans girl a boy!" The irate pundit continued. "When you use words as a slur, I'm gonna interrupt. They're not boys! They're not boys," he ranted on, despite host Phillip trying to get him to stop. "They're not 'playing girls' softball,' I'm not gonna sit here and listen to that."

Phillip finally got a word in, saying "Look, this is a really heated issue, and Shermichael, I know you, I know that you understand that people have different views on this, I think out of respect for Jay, like let's try to talk about this in a way that is respectful."

"Okay, so let me rephrase this, since I'm being targeted here—" Singleton attempted to continue.

Phillip insisted that he was not being targeted, saying "Just to be clear: you are not being targeted."

Singleton smiled, "I am, but it's okay."

Phillip continued to press her point. "I am specifically saying that I know that you are not intending to be transphobic."

"He should know that," Singleton said, "but he wants to sit here and bloviate."

Singleton attempted to continue, but the other pundit said "regular people" know that boys who say they are girls are actually girls, which national polling shows they absolutely do not. "There's no consensus that these are actually boys," he said. "This whole thing about trans girls is a canard. If we're talking about a tiny, tiny sliver of the population, and we're using to take away healthcare from thousands of people."

Surveys show that the number of children identifying as LGBTQIA+ etc. has risen over the years, with the largest gains seen among girls who believe they are boys.

Singleton looked at times bemused, frustrated, and exhausted. Phillip encouraged him to get to his point.

"My point in terms of of its effectiveness: regular people with children look at these things and say 'y'know what, this is a bit too far. I do not agree with this. I don't like this. I think Democrats have gone way too far to the left on social issues.' They're uncomfortable with it. A lot of people believe that. A lot of people believe that. You may disagree with that reality, but that's why Republicans kept running those ads over and over and over again, because the metrics suggested that they were working."

That was all meaningless to the other guy, other than to use it to prove his point that transphobia rules the GOP. "And why in those ads, over and over again, and using rhetoric like you just used," he said, referring to Singleton calling boys who think they are girls, boys, "saying this is boys playing girls' sports. First of all we're talking about five people in the United States—"

It was Singleton's turn to interrupt and ask him what rhetoric he was talking about. "What's the language you would prefer?"

"We're talking about trans girls being allowed to play with people who are in their gender. And you don't have to listen to me, listen to the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, this is a war on science."

Women's volleyball teams in the west have been forfeiting matches against San Jose State, which has a trans player. That team's co-captain even joined a complaint against the NCAA for their trans inclusion policy. Girls teams in schools across the US have also boycotted matches against opposing teams that have trans players, citing safety concerns as well as unfairness.