Transgender state rep defends boys playing in girls’ sports

Minnesota state Rep. Leigh Finke (D) is a transgender state politician who has spoken openly about “gender-affirming care” for kids and even introduced a bill in 2023 to legislate access to surgeries and hormones for children.

Finke, who is part of the Democrat-affiliated Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, recently called sex-based categories in sports a form of discrimination. Following those comments, however, it took less than a day for the politician’s ideas play out in real time in his own state.

‘They’re just kids who want to participate and enjoy the benefits of sports …’

In a statement to OutKick, Finke defended the idea of boys playing in girls’ sports, right down to declaring that males can be female.

“Trans girls are girls,” Finke told the outlet. “They deserve the right to play sports and engage in physical wellness activities, just like every other child growing up in our beloved state. They aren’t doing anything wrong; they’re just kids who want to participate and enjoy the benefits of sports, just like their peers.”

OutKick reported that Finke dismissed concerns about males dominating in female sports and described policies that establish sex-based categories in athletics as “discriminatory.”

“[These policies] also undermine the very purpose of youth sports, which is to encourage participation and personal growth for all children,” Finke claimed.

Finke’s comments were published early on Wednesday morning, and it took less than 12 hours for the state representative’s ideology to prove harmful for young female athletes.

RELATED: Boy who had birth certificate changed to ‘female’ now dominating girls’ softball

State Representative Leigh Finke (D) is embraced by a supporter at the Minnesota Senate on April 21, 2023. Photo by STEPHEN MATUREN/AFP via Getty Images

OutKick’s Amber Harding posted video Wednesday evening from the Minnesota state softball semifinals, where a 17-year-old male pitcher was dominating female opponents.

Charlie Rothenberger, who now goes by “Marissa,” pitched a complete game and added two doubles to send Champlin Park High School to the state finals.

As Blaze News reported in May, Rothenberger is six feet tall and had his birth certificate altered just after he turned 9 years old through his mother’s petition.

The child’s sex was changed to “female” and his name changed from “Charlie Dean” to “Marissa.”

On Friday, Harding reported from the state finals, where Rothenberger dominated even more easily. In a 6-0 victory over Bloomington Jefferson, Rothenberger pitched a complete-game shutout and gave up only three hits to win the Minnesota state championship.

Rothernberger was named to the All-Tournament Team.

RELATED: ‘Get a life’: Transgender athlete mocks hecklers after crushing teen girls to win state championship

Viewers were notably upset with the results; “Title IX has been overturned in Minnesota. Gender ideology supersedes women’s rights,” an X user, purporting to be from Minnesota, wrote.

“That boy is really good at girls’ softball,” a female X user said.

A woman added, “A bunch of girls that have been trained to submit to the feelings of males.”

The grim reality of Rothenberg’s participation flies in the face of Finke’s comments to OutKick. The state representative vastly oversimplified the effects of male participation in female sports, falling back on local laws as his justification.

“These young trans athletes are playing sports they love, surrounded by their loved ones, friends, and teammates who support them, in accordance with local law,” Finke said in the statement to OutKick. “They deserve support and celebration, like all of our young people.”

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