Thank you for stepping up on this International Women's Day to help Brittney Griner! Your signing and sharing of this petition are keeping attention on her case and renewing attention to other U.S. citizens being held in Russian jails. 

A roundup of #IWD2022 events:

1] International Women's Day

The WNBA started the day by promoting a white heterosexual player for International Women's Day. I am not sure what is behind the tone-deafness and missteps, but it is madness that must end. I addressed a few things in this Twitter thread. But the lack of engagement this thread and this petition have gained on Twitter is both troubling and glaring. If the petition had originated from a media personality the #WNBATwitter arm of the app had found favorable, our traction would be greater there.

Twitter did not respond to my email request that they promote the petition under "Top News," where it belongs. 

Thankfully, greater entities with much wider reach have taken notice and blessed us with worldwide channels through which to broadcast our shared concerns. 

2] "The Lead" with Jake Tapper (CNN)

Grateful to Jake Tapper for inviting me on "The Lead" this afternoon to discuss my reasons for creating this petition to help return Brittney Griner to her family, what she and her iconic legacy mean not only to the world of sports, but to the U.S. and the world. 

3] CNN International with Rosemary Church

For those who don't know, CNN International (CNNi) airs overnight beginning at 2 a.m. ET! I'd declined an interview with the show two or three times because I've been going around the clock and I usually wake at 5 a.m.!! But Ms. Church was so committed to discussing Brittney Griner's pressing situation that she offered to arrive at work early for her overnight shift so that we could pre-record a segment, which I just finished up doing about an hour ago.

The segment airs worldwide at 2:40 a.m. ET. As soon as I have the link, I'll drop it here. 

4] YOUR Powerful Words

Many of your comments about why you've signed this petition are thoughtful and so helpful to this discussion, and I am doing my very best to "like" the best ones. Your voices and your insights matter. 

The biggest theme I notice is a shared belief that if it was another Olympic gold medalist being held captive, there would be a national outcry. I am mentioning it here to amplify this point. In a country beleaguered by racism, sexism, and homophobia from existence, it is easy to imagine if someone like Sue Bird was being held, that the response--from inside the league and outside of it--would be very different. 

5] 40K Club!

We've reached 40,000 signatures in just a few days! My hope is that someone in Brittney Griner's camp is informing her of this outpouring of love and support for her safe return. At minimum, I hope her wife, parents, and closest friends know that we're doing what we can in our power as citizens to bring her safely home. 

-Tamryn

(Image: Jake Tapper via Instagram)