Baseball's Curt Schilling fired by ESPN over transgender comments

Curt Schilling was sacked from his job as a baseball analyst by American sports broadcaster ESPN on Wednesday, following a sarcastic online post that was seen as attacking transgender people.

The former Major League Baseball pitcher on Tuesday reposted a photo on Facebook showing a large man wearing a wig and women's clothing.

The caption 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 post was apparently a response to the controversy over a new North Carolina law that wiped out local statutes allowing transgender individuals to use the bathroom corresponding to the gender with which they identify.

"If you get offended by ANYTHING in this post, that's your fault, all yours. And for you people too dense to understand this one very important thing. My opinion, 100% mine, and only mine. I don't represent anyone but myself here, on Facebook, on Twitter, anywhere," Schilling wrote in a blog posting.

ESPN released a statement saying Schilling was no longer welcome at the broadcaster.

"ESPN is an inclusive company. Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated."

Schilling was previously suspended by ESPN last year after he made controversial remarks about Muslims.

Schilling won three World Series titles as a pitcher with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox.
Source: AFP