Introduction

ESPN broadcaster Samantha Ponder recently voiced her disapproval of trans women, quote-unquote, that is biological males who now identify as women, participating in women's sports. USA Today's Nancy Armour published an opinion piece entitled, What ESPN's Sam Ponder calls fairness is plain old bigotry. The reason for Armour's denunciation is that Ponder has said it is not hateful to demand fairness in sports for girls. In 1776 the English historian Edward Gibbon released the first volume of his massive work, the history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. He faulted Christianity for undermining the tolerant regime of pagan religion and plunging Europe into a millennium-long dark age.