U.S.A.: Jill Stein’s Green Party VP opposes trans inclusion in women’s sport

Butch Ware, the Green Party’s vice-presidential candidate alongside Dr. Jill Stein, stated during a recent podcast appearance that “biological males” should not participate in “female sports teams.”

Ware joined The Black Channel on YouTube on October 30 for an extensive pre-election discussion. During the show, host Jason Black asked if he agreed with “the idea of biological males playing in female sports.” This phrasing is often used by anti-trans individuals to argue against allowing trans girls and women in women's sports. Ware responded by saying he didn’t believe “biological males” should compete in female sports, citing concerns over “an unfair competitive advantage.” While this viewpoint is common among right-wing circles, there is no definitive evidence supporting the exclusion of trans women and girls from women's sports, according to a 2021 study. In contrast, an April 2024 study, partially funded by the International Olympic Committee, indicated that trans women might face various disadvantages in athletic competitions.

According to ‘Them’, Ware further commented that the “politicisation of transgender rights is frankly right-wing talking points that Black folk have been kind of indoctrinated with over the course of time.” He noted that the Green Party “has not participated in the culture war between liberal extremists and conservative extremists,” while also stating that “the culture of fear, recrimination, whether on ethnic or gender or other sorts of lines, is something that the overall fascist system of white supremacy benefits from.”

Clips from the podcast circulated on X over the weekend, with many expressing disappointment in Ware’s remarks. On X, lawyer Obaa Boni labeled the interviewer a “fascist” but maintained that Ware “is completely ill-equipped in this fundamental issue of liberation and his answer was very violent.” Another clip from the interview also went viral, with claims that Ware supported restrictions on abortion. When asked about limits on abortion, Ware responded that “there should be limits on everything,” referring to “a lot of the common sense regulations that most Americans agree on” as “something like 16 weeks.”

A national 15-week ban has become a favoured “compromise” for anti-abortion advocates, as reported by The 19th last year. Such a ban could undermine abortion access in states where it remains legal and wouldn’t restore first-trimester abortion access in states with heavy restrictions or bans. It’s noteworthy that one in 13.5 pregnancies is discovered after 12 weeks. In the interview, Ware also stated, “I’m very much in favor of defending a woman’s right to choose and if people don’t like abortions, then they should have every right not to have one.”

Ware posted a detailed thread on X on Saturday to clarify his remarks, emphasising that he is “neither a Pro-life ‘abortion banner’ nor a transphobe.” He claimed his interview comments, described as “hostile,” “were taken out of context and used to paint me as holding views I fundamentally reject.” Ware explained that he was attempting to discuss nuanced policy on Olympic inclusion based on IOC information, not denouncing trans inclusion. He reiterated his commitment to liberating marginalised communities, standing “alongside trans and queer individuals in every fight for equity, including the urgent struggle against violence targeting queer and trans women of color,” and apologised for “the misperception caused by these comments.”

When Them reached out for a response, the Stein campaign’s co-press director provided a link to Ware’s X thread as the campaign’s official statement. The campaign’s communications director also apologised for the harm caused by using an offensive term to the trans community, stating, “Trans women are women.”

Stein announced her presidential run as a Green Party candidate on November 9, 2023, and introduced Ware as her running mate on August 16. Her campaign site describes Ware as “a lifelong activist and educator specializing in the history of empire, colonialism, genocide, and revolution.” His biography emphasises his dedication to addressing issues such as the ongoing situation in Gaza and the George Floyd murder in 2020.