On a recent episode of his “Pray In Jesus Name” program, Religious Right activist and Colorado state lawmaker Gordon Klingenschmitt weighed in on the controversy surrounding Nattaphon Wangyot, a transgender student in Alaska who recently competed in the girls’ track and field state finals.
Klingenschmitt accused the high school senior of being possessed by “a demonic spirit of cowardice” and a “demonic spirit of lying” for competing against female athletes.
“Not only is it cheating and lying,” he said, “but it’s perversion and it’s confusion. And I don’t think it is even in this boy’s best interest. There is also a spirit of cowardice here. Why do I say cowardice? Because he’s afraid to compete with the other boys. If he were really a man and he were able to run so fast, he wouldn’t have to beat up on these girls.”
“There is also a sprit of theft,” Klingenschmitt continued, declaring that Wangyot is “depriving these other girls of their college scholarships” because they lost “to this boy who pretends to be a girl.”
Klingenschmitt closed out his commentary by praying that school officials would take a stand against “these liars and cheaters who would want to steal from the other athletes.”
