Former Dallas Cowboys player Dez Bryant has sparked controversy with an erratic and homophobic rant on social media, claiming “God didn’t create us to be gay.”
This outburst was prompted by a post on X about Olympic boxer Imane Khelif.
Khelif has been embroiled in controversy since defeating Angela Carini, who quit 46 seconds into their fight at the Paris Olympics. Khelif, who reportedly has male XY chromosomes in her DNA, failed a gender test last year, adding fuel to the debate.
Bryant took to X to express his views on the matter, writing without directly naming Khelif: “God made you a woman for a reason. God made you a man for a reason. God didn’t put you in a foreign body. Also, men shouldn’t be able to compete in women’s divisions. My opinion.”
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A fan responded, criticizing Bryant’s perspective given that Khelif is neither male nor transgender, saying, “Dez struggles to comprehend the vast diversity of God’s creativity.”
Bryant then broadened his remarks to include gay people, even referencing his own mother. He wrote: “God created a lot of beautiful things, but I know damn well he didn’t create us to be gay. I don’t have problems with gays, just my beliefs. My mama is gay, and she’s free to do as she pleases. God didn’t make Adam to be with another Adam. God said Adam wasn’t meant to be alone, so he made Eve. They both have certain parts for a reason. You have men trying to get pregnant… that’s not what’s up.”
His comments appeared disconnected from the initial discussion about Khelif. In a separate post, Bryant added: “I didn’t grow up with positive influences. God placed a desire in my heart to change my environment and my dysfunctional upbringing. The way I walk through the devil’s grounds with maximum strength is really unheard of. I’m different and I embraced it a long time ago.”
Bryant’s troubled past has been well-documented. According to ESPN, his mother was arrested for dealing crack cocaine when he was a child. In 2012, Bryant himself was arrested for allegedly assaulting his mother. He later revealed in a 2015 interview with The Dallas Morning News that he learned of his mother’s sexual orientation while in high school. “I didn’t like it. Really, I still don’t,” he said at the time. “I dealt with it and now I’m comfortable with it.”
Bryant was a first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Cowboys and played for the team from 2010 until 2017. He later signed with the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens and was a three-time Pro Bowler.
The backlash to Bryant’s comments highlights the ongoing struggles within sports communities to address issues of gender identity and sexuality with sensitivity and understanding.
