Jeopardy! Champion Amy Schneider Addresses Trolls and Transphobic Comments After Setting New Record
Courtesy Jeopardy Productions, Inc.
The Jeopardy! contestant, who just broke the show's record for the most consecutive wins by a woman, isn't taking any hate.
Amy Schneider, who is transgender, addressed transphobic comments that she's "a man," which flooded Twitter amidst her legendary run on the series.
In a tweet on New Year's Eve, Schneider hit back at Internet trolls who spent their holidays tweeting offensive comments about her gender.
With a spirit of sarcasm, Schneider pointed to the recurring tweets, writing, "I'd like to thank all the people who have taken the time, during this busy holiday season, to reach out and explain to me that, actually, I'm a man."
"Every single one of you is the first person ever to make that very clever point, which had never once before crossed my mind," she added.
I’d like to thank all the people who have taken the time, during this busy holiday season, to reach out and explain to me that, actually, I’m a man. Every single one of you is the first person ever to make that very clever point, which had never once before crossed my mind 🙏
— Amy Schneider (@Jeopardamy) December 31, 2021
RELATED: Jeopardy! Contestant Amy Schneider Breaks Record for Most Consecutive Wins of Any Female Player
Schneider broke the record of most consecutive wins by a woman contestant on Dec. 28, with 21 wins in a row. The record was previously set by Julia Collins in 2014.
While many applauded Schneider's winning streak, others criticized Schneider, arguing that she wasn't assigned female at birth.
But praise and support for Schneider appeared to outweigh the hatred, as evidenced by the responses to Schneider's tweet. Many Twitter users applauded Schneider's decision to speak up, and the diversity and intelligence she's brought to Jeopardy! in the last few months.
"As a pastor, I want to apologize for what you've had to endure," one clergy member commented. "It is my tradition that owns the sin of homo/transphobia. I'm grateful, tho, [sic] for your strength, and for not believing those vicious lies. Thank u for your strength, for standing tall, and inspiring us. Peace to you."
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A few even spoke of the power that Schneider has in changing the opinions of those who haven't accepted transgender individuals in the past.
"Somehow, after 2-3 years of conversation, you being on Jeopardy every night has taught my dad to be accepting of trans people," one Twitter user wrote. "You're the first person he's used correct pronouns with, an 83-year-old man, saying 'this isn't too hard.'"
In Schneider's 20th game, which officially tied her with the record of Collins, she spoke of the previous record holder.
RELATED: Jeopardy! Champ Larissa Kelly Congratulates Amy Schneider for Surpassing Her Winnings Record
"Obviously being such a successful woman on the show is, you know, meaningful to me," said Schneider, reflecting on Collins' streak. "But I also just liked that she played very straightforward, and just being smart, [and] just being fast on that buzzer… I liked that about her, as well."
Schneider's current winnings on the show are $855,600 — the fifth-highest all-time winnings amount of any Jeopardy! player in the show's history, according to the Jeopardy! website.
She's also placed in the series' Tournament of Champions, an annual competition involving players who racked up the most wins in the previous season.
At the time of publishing, Schneider has won 23 consecutive games. She'll appear on the series for her 24th episode on Monday.
