Sarah Palin said Thursday that ESPN’s decision to fire former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling was a “screw up,” and she defended his criticism of transgender people in Facebook post that included a cartoon mocking so-called “social justice warriors.”
“ESPN continues to screw up,” she wrote as a caption to the cartoon.
The sports news network announced late Wednesday evening that it had fired Schilling for his recent remarks on transgender persons.
“ESPN is an inclusive company,” the company said in a statement. “Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated.”
Schilling posted, and then later deleted, a meme on Facebook this week that criticized transgender people who insist on using restrooms that correspond to the gender with which they identify.
The meme, which showed a picture of a man wearing a wig and women’s clothing, included a caption that read, “LET HIM IN! to the restroom with your daughter or else you’re a narrow-minded, judgmental, unloving racist bigot who needs to die.”
The former ballplayer later explained his thoughts on the issue in a blog post titled “The hunt to be offended…”
“This latest brew ha ha is beyond hilarious. I didn’t post that ugly looking picture. I made a comment about the basic functionality of men’s and women’s restrooms, period,” he said of the reaction to his remarks.
“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,” he said. “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.”
ESPN’s termination of Schilling for his non-“inclusive” remarks stands in sharp contrast to how the network responded in October when host Tony Kornheiser compared members of the Tea Party to the Islamic State.
Kornheiser is still an employee of ESPN.
