A Democratic presidential hopeful says he’s against biological males competing against women in sports, and no, it’s not President Biden.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a candidate for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination, said he opposes allowing “biologically male” athletes in women’s athletics, his latest break with the Democratic Party orthodoxy.
“I am against people participating in women’s sports who are biologically male,” Mr. Kennedy said Saturday on CNN. “I think women have worked too hard to develop women’s sports over the past 30 years. I watched it happen, and I don’t think that’s fair.”
His stance puts him at odds with the Biden administration, which has called for extending federal anti-discrimination rules to include “gender identity.”
The Education Department proposed last month a rule change that would eliminate blanket bans on female-identifying male athletes in scholastic sports, requiring schools to justify such bans on a sport-by-sport basis by citing factors such as safety and fairness.
Former Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth tweeted: “Remarkable for a Democrat, but Mr. Kennedy is no stranger to heterodoxy.”
SEE ALSO: Biden Title IX proposal opposes categorical ban on male-born athletes in female sports
RFK Jr. on trans sports participation. #Kennedy24 pic.twitter.com/5kbML7hcn9
— Peace In All Time (@PeaceInAllTime) April 29, 2023
Mr. Kennedy, the most prominent of Mr. Biden’s primary challengers, is a longtime environmental lawyer and vaccine skeptic who has spoken out against the COVID-19 vaccine mandates and lockdowns, putting him squarely at odds with the Democratic establishment.
The son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy has not previously run for public office, but polls show him as the second choice for the Democratic nod behind Mr. Biden.
A Fox News poll released Wednesday found Mr. Kennedy polling at 19% versus 62% for Mr. Biden. An Emerson College poll posted Thursday showed a similar split, with Mr. Kennedy garnering 21% to Mr. Biden’s 70%.
Mr. Kennedy announced his presidential bid April 19 in Boston. Also challenging Mr. Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination is self-help author Marianne Williamson.
