{"id":569242,"date":"2021-06-21T11:21:50","date_gmt":"2021-06-21T15:21:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=569242"},"modified":"2021-06-21T11:21:59","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T15:21:59","slug":"opinion-usa-todays-censorship-of-my-client-chelsea-mitchell-is-unprecedented","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/opinion-usa-todays-censorship-of-my-client-chelsea-mitchell-is-unprecedented\/","title":{"rendered":"OPINION: USA Today\u2019s\u00a0Censorship Of My Client Chelsea Mitchell Is Unprecedented"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fopinion-usa-todays-censorship-of-my-client-chelsea-mitchell-is-unprecedented%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=569242&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1200367895.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"  style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p><i>USA Today<\/i>\u00a0recently did something unprecedented in my or anyone else\u2019s experience of professional journalism. After publishing an op-ed written by my client, Chelsea Mitchell, the publication retroactively changed key words and phrases. They did so unilaterally, without warning, and without apology.<\/p>\n<p>Chelsea is an elite high school track runner. She was ranked one of the fastest girls in Connecticut. But when biological males began competing in the female category, Chelsea fell to 2nd and 3rd place repeatedly, missing out on championships and the wealth of future opportunities that goes with them. I and my employer, Alliance Defending Freedom, have been representing her and other girls in Connecticut for over a year to protect their right \u2014 and the right of all females athletes \u2014 to a fair playing field.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/adflegal.org\/blog\/i-was-fastest-girl-connecticut-transgender-athletes-made-it-unfair-fight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/adflegal.org\/blog\/i-was-fastest-girl-connecticut-transgender-athletes-made-it-unfair-fight&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1624233363151000&#038;usg=AFQjCNEJLjTafsJMMHkFpzFmOZRyJZitAg\">Chelsea\u2019s op-ed<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0<i>USA Today<\/i>\u00a0detailed her demoralizing experiences losing to competitors who had massive biological advantages. It was her story and her voice. To explain the situation clearly, Chelsea referred to her competitors accurately as biological males. Those words weren\u2019t meant as slights in any way. They are simply the clearest terms for communicating the point at issue: that however individuals identify themselves, biological facts have consequences and can\u2019t be ignored, particularly in sports.<\/p>\n<p>Days after publishing the article,\u00a0<i>USA Today<\/i>\u00a0changed every mention of \u201cmale\u201d to \u201ctransgender.\u201d They placed an editor\u2019s note at the top\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/opinion\/2021\/05\/22\/transgender-athletes-girls-women-sports-track-connecticut-column\/5149532001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/opinion\/2021\/05\/22\/transgender-athletes-girls-women-sports-track-connecticut-column\/5149532001\/&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1624233363151000&#038;usg=AFQjCNHwUIdU7L9yArevJjYYiDm8mrm27Q\">reading<\/a>, \u201cThis column has been updated to reflect\u00a0<i>USA Today<\/i>\u2019s<i>\u00a0<\/i>standards and style guidelines. We regret that hurtful language was used.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is mind-blowing on multiple counts.<\/p>\n<p>First, the editors made these changes without warning Chelsea. This is grossly unprofessional. Publications like\u00a0<i>USA Today<\/i>\u00a0should seek to fairly present both sides of divisive issues, not censor those of a particular side and slander their account of the facts as \u201churtful.\u201d The paper\u2019s move is especially boggling because\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/5f232ea74d8342386a7ebc52\/t\/5f989b7226098c04ac975eba\/1603836792708\/Nationwide_WOLF_10.16.20-Survey_Results-Smart_Charts.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/5f232ea74d8342386a7ebc52\/t\/5f989b7226098c04ac975eba\/1603836792708\/Nationwide_WOLF_10.16.20-Survey_Results-Smart_Charts.pdf&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1624233363151000&#038;usg=AFQjCNGP5FU3vkSfYinhkFjsrwhUnCgDHA\">poll<\/a>\u00a0after\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/americanprinciplesproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/APP-Swing-State-Polling-Memo-7-28-20.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/americanprinciplesproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/APP-Swing-State-Polling-Memo-7-28-20.pdf&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1624233363151000&#038;usg=AFQjCNFBpHCYgjxL2U7u-oRjYz8fw5o_xQ\">poll<\/a>\u00a0after\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/US\/2021\/05\/26\/Gallup-survey-transgender-sports\/9641622057085\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/US\/2021\/05\/26\/Gallup-survey-transgender-sports\/9641622057085\/&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1624233363151000&#038;usg=AFQjCNF-33p4zdg3qZiHK-uih3MnhjMZSg\">poll<\/a>\u00a0shows that a large majority of Americans agree with Chelsea\u2019s position.<\/p>\n<p>Second, they claim the original violated their \u201cstandards.\u201d If so, why wasn\u2019t the change made before publication? Did it inadvertently slip through the cracks? Or are their \u201cstandards\u201d a shifting haze that can be invoked whenever it\u2019s convenient? Chelsea\u2019s words didn\u2019t violate their \u201cstandards\u201d when first published, but they did a couple of days later and apparently always had. It reminds one of the old Soviet maxim that the past can be very hard to predict.<\/p>\n<p>Third, they apologize for publishing \u201churtful language.\u201d This implies two outrageous claims. First, that Chelsea\u2019s words were so horrible that the public has to be protected from them, and second, that Chelsea is hurting other people by speaking the truth. Citing an essential biological fact while discussing an issue of public interest is not \u201churtful.\u201d What\u2019s hurtful to Chelsea and other female athletes is denying biological reality and implying that a young woman\u2019s testimony is some sort of public menace. The message to Chelsea and those like her is clear: Your opinion is harmful and must be silenced.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, there is the unconscionable fact that\u00a0<i>USA Today<\/i>\u00a0unilaterally changed Chelsea\u2019s own words to give them a meaning she did not intend. Forcing her to say \u201ctransgender\u201d rather than \u201cmale\u201d undermines her message, obscures her point, and takes away her voice.\u00a0<i>USA Today\u00a0<\/i>informs readers that they can find \u201cdiverse opinions\u201d on its opinion page, but in Chelsea\u2019s experience, its \u201cstandards\u201d for diversity don\u2019t extend to opinions some of their editors don\u2019t like.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, like Chelsea losing four state championship races to males, this act of censorship is the latest example of how things go awry when people attempt to ignore objective truth. Rather than acknowledging biological reality and defending policies that reflect the views of most Americans, many athletic conferences, politicians, and media outlets would rather deny truth to appease a small\u00a0<span class=\"m_-7512418107533202875SpellE\">faction<\/span>\u00a0of transgender activists who shout until those like\u00a0<i>USA Today<\/i>\u00a0bend to their demands.<\/p>\n<p>While all Americans are entitled to their own opinion, they are not entitled to their own facts. And they aren\u2019t entitled to censor those they disagree with. It\u2019s past time for publications like\u00a0<i>USA Today<\/i>\u00a0to stop cowering to those who want to create their own facts, and start allowing brave young leaders like Chelsea the opportunity for her ideas to compete on a fair playing field.<\/p>\n<p><i>Christiana Holcomb is legal counsel at\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.adflegal.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/www.adflegal.org&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1624233363151000&#038;usg=AFQjCNFyNgHm0CAAIdcFrQQIzvalKPhsRw\"><i>Alliance Defending Freedom<\/i><\/a><i>\u00a0(<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AllianceDefends\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/AllianceDefends&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1624233363151000&#038;usg=AFQjCNFlNObEo_F72Yz56xb6ggg4sZiLIQ\"><i>@Alliance Defends<\/i><\/a><i>), where she represents Chelsea Mitchell and three other female athletes in Connecticut who are seeking to protect women\u2019s sports.<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>member<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>USA Today\u00a0recently did something unprecedented in my or anyone else\u2019s experience of professional journalism. After publishing an op-ed written by my client, Chelsea Mitchell, the publication retroactively changed key words &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2280842,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1200367895.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"OPINION: USA Today\u2019s\u00a0Censorship Of My Client Chelsea Mitchell Is Unprecedented","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-569242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1200367895.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"OPINION: USA Today\u2019s\u00a0Censorship Of My Client Chelsea Mitchell Is Unprecedented","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=569242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2280842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=569242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=569242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=569242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}