BOSTON — Former ESPN analyst and Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is defending himself after making comments on Facebook about transgender people. He was fired by the network Wednesday evening.

Schilling this week reposted an image of an overweight man wearing a long blond wig and revealing women’s clothing. It included the phrase: “Let him in! To the restroom with your daughter or else you’re a narrow minded, judgmental, unloving, racist bigot who needs to die!!!”

In 2009, former Boston Red Sox pitcher flirted with the idea of running for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward Kennedy. He ultimately endorsed Republican Scott Brown, who won the election, only to lose two years later to Elizabeth Warren.

Schilling added his own comments, saying, “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves” and “Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic.”

Schilling was apparently referring to laws in several states that restrict bathroom access to transgender people.

He defended the post on his blog, saying he was expressing his opinion and those criticizing him are frauds.

“ESPN is an inclusive company,” ESPN said in a statement released Wednesday. “Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated.”

Schilling addressed the controversy on his personal blog Tuesday in an entry entitled, “The hunt to be offended… .”

“This latest brew ha ha is beyond hilarious,” he wrote. “I didn’t post that ugly looking picture. I made a comment about the basic functionality of mens and womens restrooms, period.”

(When he says he didn’t post the picture, Schilling might be trying to distinguish between “posting” an item and “sharing” an item, the latter of which is technically what he appears to have done.)

The 2001 World Series MVP has gotten in trouble before by expressing his opinions. He was dropped from ESPN’s coverage of the Little League World Series in August and then suspended for the rest of the MLB season for tweeting a meme that compared Muslims to Nazis.

Back in March, Schilling appeared to have violated ESPN’s guidelines for election coverage by stating that Hilary Clinton “should be buried under a jail somewhere” during a radio interview. ESPN said it addressed the matter with Schilling and allowed him to be part of its “Monday Night Baseball” broadcasts as planned.

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