Was Fox Sports Transphobic in Ignoring Amy Schneider at Pride Game?
transgender Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the San Francisco Giants’ Pride Day game Saturday, substituting two-day-old footage of a NASCAR driver instead.The sports channel is a sister company to the conservative Fox News Channel, leading some to wonder if there was transphobia involved, although Fox officials are saying the network simply doesn’t usually air the ceremonial pitches.The Giants were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the game, which Fox was broadcasting regionally.
The Giants and Dodgers both wore caps with their logos in rainbow colors for LGBTQ+ Pride (the umpires sported a Pride insignia as well), and patrons who bought a special ticket package got rainbow socks.Schneider, who went farther on Jeopardy!
than any woman or trans contestant in the show’s history, winning 40 consecutive games, threw out the first pitch while sporting a Giants jersey and a colorful, flouncy skirt.
An Oakland resident, she is the first out trans competitor to qualify for the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, which will be held this fall.But Fox Sports didn’t show her, instead broadcasting footage of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a game that took place Thursday at the Giants’ Oracle Park against the Colorado Rockies.
