"A man playing against a woman is a very unfair matchup": Tennis association president quits as trans player Brooklyn Ross allowed to play in Women's Governor's Cup

President of Wyoming Tennis Association Resigns in Protest Over Transgender Player's Participation in the Governor's Cup.

The decision to allow a transgender player to compete in the women's singles category of the Governor's Cup in Wyoming has sparked controversy, leading to the resignation of the president of the Cheyenne Tennis Association, Jackie Fulkrod.

The player is Brooklyn Ross, a 27-year-old from Colorado, who has previously competed in women's tournaments at the college level and is set to compete in the upcoming Wyoming Governor's Cup this weekend.

Fulkrod resigned from her position, citing concerns about fairness and the integrity of women's sports. She expressed her views to the Cowboy State Daily:

"I believe that a man competing against a woman is a highly unfair matchup when it's specifically meant for women in that particular bracket," she said.

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Brooklyn Ross, who underwent a gender transition six years ago, has been actively involved in college tennis since 2019, notably concluding a recent season with the Division II NCAA university, the University of Texas at Tyler.

Throughout her journey in women's competitions, Ross has been met with positive and supportive responses. However, the recent resignation of Jackie Fulkrod due to Ross's participation has left her disheartened.

"So far, it has always been positive and good," she said regarding her participation in women's competitions.

"It saddens me that this woman has resigned because of this."

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Fulkrod, whose mother also resigned from the association's board due to Ross's participation, defended her decision to step down, stating:

"I feel that having a transgender athlete compete in the women's bracket goes against my personal integrity and what I believe in and value."

"My decision to resign was solely based on the fact that we had no way to protect our organization or protect our athletes playing in the tournament," she added.

Fulkrod also expressed concerns about Ross using female bathrooms at Cheyenne Central High School, one of the venues for the Governor's Cup.

"There would be other biological females using the facility at the same time, and I think that is very wrong," she added.

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Ross responded her critics:

"They probably haven't had the experience of seeing any trans woman play, and I'm glad to be able to stand up for some of those voiceless people. Kids who have to choose between their authenticity and playing a game."

"This is an opportunity for them to come and see a trans woman competing and see a real example, not hypothetical or theoretical," Ross added.