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Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a co-owner of the WBNA’s Atlanta Dream, discussed her opposition of the BLM movement last night in an interview with FOX news. As a result, WBNA players have spoken out on social media, calling for Loeffler to give up her share of the Dream, according to ‘The Hill.’ “[Black Lives Matter] is a very divisive organization based on marxist principles,” Loeffler told Fox’s Laura Ingraham. “This is an organization that seeks to destroy the American principles and I had to draw the line.”
The senator, who has co-owned the Dream since 2011, first spoke out against BLM last week, when she wrote WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and expressed that she feels the league should not move forward with plans to have players warmups embroidered with two of the movements rally cries, both “Black Lives Matter” and “Say Her Name.” “The truth is, we need less—not more politics in sports. In a time when polarizing politics is as divisive as ever, sports has the power to be a unifying antidote,” Loeffler told Engelbert. “And now more than ever, we should be united in our goal to remove politics from sports.” She suggested instead that teams sport the American flag.
Loeffler also referred to the movement as “anti-Semitic” and said she believes it’s against the “nuclear family.” The WNBA Players Association responded in a tweet saying, “E-N-O-U-G-H! O-U-T!” while Engelbert released a statement that read, “The WNBA is based on the principle of equal and fair treatment of all people and we, along with the teams and players, will continue to use our platforms to vigorously advocate for social justice.” Players Breanna Stewart and Sydney Colson both spoke out on Twitter, asking Loeffler to cut ties with the league. Natasha Cloud spoke to CNN’s Don Lemon, telling him “For her to come out and say we’re divisive and that Black Lives Matter’s movement is a divisive organization, I call BS on that. [The Atlanta Dream] in itself, their starting five is all black females. To be a partial owner in that and cheer on the sidelines and support your players, but you don’t support them when they take those uniforms off, it’s a problem.”
During her interview with Ingraham, Loeffler responded to Cloud’s comments saying that “there’s no room in this country for racism, but this isn’t what the Black Lives Matter political organization is about.” She also added that she won’t give up her ownership stake in the Dream, despite mass calls for her to do so.
