Steven Senne/Associated Press

Curt Schilling Fired by ESPN Following Anti-Transgender Comments

Matt Fitzgerald

Former MLB pitcher and current ESPN analyst Curt Schilling stirred up controversy with an anti-transgender meme and comments he posted on Facebook recently.

Cyd Zeigler of SB Nation's Outsports reported on Schilling's social media activity Tuesday, including an offensive image and his comments from Monday, which were as follows: "A man is a man no matter what they call themselves. I don't care what they are, who they sleep with, men's room was designed for the penis, women's not so much. Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic."

ESPN announced it is firing Schilling on Wednesday, per Richard Sandomir of the New York Times. “ESPN is an inclusive company. Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated," ESPN said in a statement, per Sandomir.

Schilling also shared a meme in a since-deleted Facebook post Monday that criticized someone he asserted to be a transgender woman, furthering his extreme stance on the issue.

The 49-year-old's Facebook account features a lot of activity involving politics, conveying a far-right, hard-line conservative ideology.

Schilling spoke at length about his inflammatory remarks on his official blog, in a post titled "The hunt to be offended..."—an excerpt of which is below:

I'm loud, I talk too much, I think I know more than I do, those and a billion other issues I know I have. Like everyone one of you I have flaws, but I'm ok with my flaws, they're what make me, me. I thank the Lord for the life I've been given. A life interspersed and occupied by men and women who are gay, by people of all races and religions, by men and women who dress as the other, by men and women who've changed to women and men. Not one decision I've ever made about a person has anything to do with those things I just mentioned, nor will it ever.

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.

YOU'RE the ones making it the issue. I don't care, if you ask me about any of the topics it's likely (much to the chagrin of many) I'll answer with my opinion.

This isn't the first time Schilling has come under criticism for his conduct on social media. He shared a meme last August that compared extremist Muslims to Nazis, leading to a suspension from ESPN's baseball coverage.

Schilling did apologize for his post and deleted it the same day, but he has a history of sharing anti-Muslim rhetoric on Facebook.

With his latest remarks, it appears he's finally gone far enough to be permanently stripped of employment. 

   

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