16 Days Later, Nike Remains Virtually Silent About Alleged Funding Of Transgender Youth Study

On April 20, the New York Times published a 10,000+ word piece on Blaire Fleming, a now former San Jose State volleyball player. Fleming, a biological male, competed on the women's team. Buried deep in the story was a detail that many might not have noticed, but OutKick did.

[Researcher Joanna] Harper is currently helping to lead an ambitious study of trans adolescents that measures their results on a 10-step fitness test before they start hormone therapy and then, after they have begun to medically transition, every six months for five years. 

But, she told me when we talked in February, ‘the current climate makes the study somewhat uncertain.’ I assumed she was referring to the Trump administration’s cuts to National Institutes of Health research grants, but she said money was not a problem: The study is being funded by Nike. The problem was Trump’s separate order targeting medical care for transgender youth. "If we can’t perform gender-affirming care," she explained, "then we can’t bring people into the study."

Since news broke last week that Nike was allegedly funding a study on transgender athletes as young as 12 years old, the company has continued to refuse to go on the record about its involvement.

(Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

So, Nike is funding a study on young males who are receiving "gender-affirming care" to see if it impairs them enough to compete in girls' and women's sports, according to the NYT. Why? Nike initially refused to answer that question when OutKick asked, several times. 

In addition, OutKick did not receive a response from Dr. Kathryn Ackerman, the lead researcher on the study. She said during a seminar in 2023: "Recently, we got some money from Nike, who wanted to study this more… they wanted to look at transgender folks who are going through the transition younger. So, if we are talking about athletes who are pausing puberty and then doing gender-affirming care and cross-hormonal treatment, what happens to them over time." 

We attempted to reach Ackerman at several institutions where she is affiliated, including at the Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School and The Female Athlete Conference, to no avail. We were also unsuccessful in attempts to reach Joanna Harper. 

OutKick asked the New York Times if Nike demanded a correction to their story, but a Times' spokesperson said: "We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting."

Pro-woman advocates blast Nike for alleged role in funding a study on ‘transgender’ kids

Riley Gaines and Jen Sey quickly slammed the company for the alleged funding of a study on transgender athletes as young as 12. 

"It’s utterly insidious that Nike would bankroll a long-term study on pre-pubescent athletes—effectively turning children into political guinea pigs—to advance a irreversible, harmful ideology that preys on the most vulnerable," Gaines said. "Did the Bud Light–Dylan Mulvaney fiasco teach Nike nothing? Corporations should stick to making products, not picking culture-war sides—but with Nike, a company that has proudly shown their disdain for America, women, and now apparently children, I won't hold my breath." 

XX-XY Athletics Founder Jennifer Sey was equally critical. 

"Why on earth would a sneaker brand be in the business of doing medical experiments on adolescent boys? On anyone?" Sey told OutKick. "Furthermore, girls aren’t impaired boys. The idea that if we just hamper boys enough they can compete with girls without standing out too much — to be passable as girls — is demeaning and degrading to girls. Nike needs to get back to business. Focus on the product and leave little boys alone."

Former NFL reporter Michele Tafoya: said word of Nike's involved was a big deal.

"The only reason I can think that Nike would be involved in this is to… be inclusive and include trans girls, again folks, biological boys, biological males, in girls' sports, so that they're not excluded. But, by doing that, you are excluding girls," Tafoya said. 

OutKick host Tomi Lahren noted that Nike has long supported radical left-wing causes, but allegedly funding a study on "transgender" minors would be the worst thing they have ever done. 

"I've never been a fan of Nike [because of] their whole thing [with using] Chinese labor, and then you've got the Kaepernick-era… This, though, is by far the most egregious thing. And if Bud Light tanked because of the Dylan Mulvaney can, if Nike is indeed funding something like this, I don't know how people can look away," she said. 

Michele Tafoya and Tomi Lahren discussed the alleged Nike funding of a study on the effect of puberty-blockers on children and their athletic performance.

(OutKick.com)

OutKick also spoke with physicians who warned of the potential harms in exposing children to life-altering pharmaceutical intervention packaged as "gender-affirming care." 

"The potential physical and mental health risks of these interventions, especially in young, developing bodies, cannot be overstated," Dr. Nicole Saphier said in a statement to OutKick. "Puberty is a critical window for growth, bone density, and emotional maturation, and altering it with hormone blockers can lead to irreversible consequences — ranging from weakened skeletal health and infertility to heightened anxiety and depression."

With public pressure mounting, Nike finally broke its silence on their alleged funding of transgender study… sort of 

On April 25, a Nike executive with knowledge of the situation finally contacted OutKick. According to the executive, the study "was never initialized" and "is not moving forward." But what exactly did that mean? Unfortunately, Nike did not provide any clarity when pushed. 

OutKick asked the Nike executive if Dr. Kathryn Ackerman and Joanna Harper, the lead researchers, who had both publicly stated multiple time since 2023 that Nike was funding the study, were wrong to say that. The executive said "no one was wrong" but that there might have been some "gaps in the information chain." Again, what did that mean? Nike still would not clarify. 

OutKick reached out to politicians across the political spectrum to get their thoughts on Nike's alleged role in funding a study on "transgender" athletes as young as 12 years old. 

"Under no circumstances should any company or organization subsidize a study that green lights experimenting on children and giving them life-altering medications, hormones, and surgeries," said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). "Nike needs to immediately come clean about whether it’s doing the radical left’s bidding by funding this unconscionable study and putting kids in harm’s way."

Several GOP lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz (left) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (right) ripped Nike for allegedly funding a transgender athlete study, while prominent Democrats stayed silent.

(Imagn Images & Getty Images)

"Didn’t Nike get the memo? 77 million Americans sent a simple message on November 5th: boys are boys and girls are girls," said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). "Americans are sick and tired of Democrats’ attempts to erase women and to deny truths that have been universally acknowledged for thousands of years. Liberal companies like Nike would be well served to realize that the woke mind virus does nothing but alienate half of their customers." 

While Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) didn't provide a direct comment to OutKick, his team pointed us to a recent podcast appearance where he blasted left-wing radicals, and Nike, for continuing to support and push the idea that males should be allowed to compete in girls' and women's sports if they choose to identify that way. 

"I don't know that there is an issue that is more out of the mainstream and yet more required by elected Democrats than demanding that men compete against and in women's sports and boys compete in girls’ sports," Cruz said. "What is amazing is, even though the left is so far out of step, Nike's continuing to double down and fund this extreme research."

Unfortunately, none of the Democrats that OutKick asked for a comment responded. That included Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA). 

Vice President JD Vance weighs-in on Nike, but the company still refused to respond 

Vice President JD Vance joined Clay Travis and Buck Sexton on "Clay & Buck" on April 29 and Travis asked about the study and Nike's alleged funding. 

"I think that so many of these companies, Nike or otherwise, got caught up in this cultural zeitgeist of 2020, 2021," Vance said. "Maybe they just thought the progressives were going to win, so they decided to fund this stuff to the hilt, not realizing that the American people would have a rebellion against the craziness. I think that rebellion on the trans issue, in particular … giving hormonal therapies to 12-year-old kids, causing irreversible damage to their bodies, forcing young girls to compete against boys in sports, sometimes causing serious injury in the process [makes] this issue such a bad loser among the American people that even some of the true believers have dropped it as a political issue.

United States Vice President JD Vance joined "Clay and Buck" and discussed Nike allegedly funding a study on young transgender athletes.

(Imagn Images & Getty Images)

"It's our job to remind the American people [that] this is what they've tried to do. This is what they’re promising to do. The trans issue hasn't gone away; you’ve just had some Democrats who are smart enough to recognize it's a political loser," Vance continued. "They're going to try to force 12-year-olds to take cross-sex hormones, and they're going to force young girls to compete against young boys if we give these guys power. The craziness, in other words, hasn't gone away. They've just gotten a little bit better at hiding it." 

OutKick reached out to Nike, again, to ask about the Vice President's comments and to ask if they were ready to provide additional clarity on their alleged role in the study. As of April 30, the company remains virtually silent, having provided zero "on-the-record" comments. We're still waiting, Nike.