NOW Comment Made in Jest, Knepper Says

Houston Astro pitcher Bob Knepper said Wednesday that he was joking when he called the National Organization of Women “a bunch of lesbians.”

In an article published in this week’s Sports Illustrated, Knepper was quoted as saying: “NOW is such a blowhard organization. They are a bunch of lesbians. Their focus has nothing to do with women’s rights. It has everything to do with women wanting to be men.”

Asked about the comment by the Houston Post, Knepper said: “That is probably what I said, but I was joking at the time and I didn’t mean it to be taken seriously. I don’t know any of the people in the organization, so I really couldn’t tell you what kind of people they are.”

Knepper’s controversial views on women in leadership roles made headlines in March during spring training. In reference to umpire Pam Postema, Knepper said he didn’t think God meant for women to be umpires because women shouldn’t have authority over men.