Soccer athlete Megan Rapinoe was among 40 professional athletes who co-signed a letter to House lawmakers in opposition of the Protection of Women in Sports Act, which would ensure that transgender athletes do not compete in women’s sports.
Sports Illustrated reported this week that Athlete Ally, a pro-LGBTQ+ organization, spearheaded the letter and sent it to lawmakers on Monday. It also included WNBA star Sue Bird and soccer player Becky Sauerbrunn (via Sports Illustrated):
The 40 athletes who signed the letter expressed how the proposed bill “does not protect women in sports,” as it would exclude women and girls from getting necessary “mental and physical health benefits.”
“We believe that gender equity in sport is critical, which is why we urge policymakers to turn their attention and effort to the causes women athletes have been fighting for decades, including equal pay, an end to abuse and mistreatment, uneven implementation of Title IX, and a lack of access and equity for girls of color and girls with disabilities, to name only a few,” the letter reads. “Our deepest hope is that transgender and intersex kids will never have to feel the isolation, exclusion and othering that H.R. 734 is seeking to enshrine into law.”
Last week, the Biden administration proposed new guidelines, which include state legislators’ not being able to “outright ban” transgender athletes from competing in sports.
In recent years, 20 states have enacted laws to ban transgender athletes from participating in public schools and colleges. Those states include Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Oklahoma.
On Twitter, college swimming star Riley Gaines, who was recently assaulted by a transgender activist during an event at San Francisco State University, pointed out that Rapinoe and the other high-profile athletes who signed the letter were not impacted by transgender athletes in their careers.
I can respect opinions that differ from my own and everyone is entitled to think/speak
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 11, 2023
independently, but I can't help but think Megan Rapinoe would genuinely shiv any male who tried to take her spot on the US Women's National Team.
As Townhall reported, Gaines tied with transgender swimmer Will “Lia” Thomas last year at the NCAA championships. Thomas, a biological male, got to take the trophy home while Gaines left empty-handed.
Last month, Heritage Action announced that the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023,” brought forward by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) and Florida Rep. Greg Steube (R) would become a “key vote” on its overall scorecard for members of Congress. The legislation would strengthen Title IX protections to protect women’s sports from biological males who identify as women.
“Throughout my coaching career, I saw the incomparable success of Title IX and the educational and personal opportunities sports have provided to millions of female athletes. For more than 50 years, this law has empowered young women to grow personally, compete professionally, and receive scholarships to further their education,” Sen. Tuberville told Townhall about the legislation.
“The positive impacts of a fair playing field in women’s sports are unmatched, but the Biden administration is forcing female athletes to the sidelines by allowing biological males to compete where they do not belong,” he continued. “It’s unfair, it’s unsafe, and it’s wrong. We cannot stand by and let girls and women in sports lose to the radical left’s agenda.”
In 2021, Rapinoe was one of hundreds of female athletes who called on the United States Supreme Court to uphold abortion rights, which Townhall noted. The reason why, they argued, was that having a baby would have interfered with their career endeavors. The Supreme Court ended up overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022.