US women’s soccer heroine Megan Rapinoe has spoken out strongly in favor of including transgender women in women’s sport, calling the arguments against it “cruel and disgusting”.
The veteran soccer star, who was co-captain of the United States women’s national team in 2019 when she won a World Cup for the second straight year, dismissed the notion that trans women dominate women’s sports and therefore need to be regulated.
Instead, she argued that excluding her from lower-level competitions was cruel because people put “their children’s high school volleyball team” above the lives and well-being of transgender people.
Her comments come amid furor over professional swimming federation FINA’s (Fédération Internationale de Natation) new policy banning transgender women from competing in swimming.
The decision came in response to transgender UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas’ record-breaking collegiate swim wins, which sparked claims the trans athlete had an extreme advantage by going through male puberty.
“Show me the evidence that trans women get scholarships from everyone, dominate in every sport and win every title,” the Rapinoe said. “I’m sorry, it’s just not happening.”
“I support trans inclusion 100 percent,” she told TIME. “People don’t know much about it. We miss almost everything.”
US women’s soccer legend Megan Rapinoe has said she is 100 percent supportive of trans inclusion.
Elite swimming is the first sport to exclude transgender athletes from women’s races once they have passed male puberty, the International Sport Federation for Swimming announced Sunday. Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, is pictured
Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges was recently banned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) from competing against Laura Kenny at the National Omnium Championships
Jenner, 72, who won a gold medal in the men’s decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, advocated banning transgender swimmers from competing if they transition after age 12
Rapinoe, who co-captained the United States women’s national team in 2019 when she won a world championship for the second straight year, is a vocal advocate for transgender rights
Rapinoe defended transgender athletes, arguing that the issue is poorly understood due to “the talking points of the right, because they’re very loud, very consistent and adamant.”
“There is regulation at the highest level. There are regulations in university sports. And at Olympic and professional levels. It’s not like it’s a free-for-all where everyone just does what it is.
She argued that we need to approach the issue from the perspective of how to include transgender athletes – “but we cannot assume the opposite. This is cruel. And frankly, it’s just gross.’
The US women’s soccer captain dismissed arguments about fairness as pale in comparison to “people’s lives” because people “commit suicide, they’re told they’re rough and different and evil and sinful and they can’t play sports with their friends.” with whom they grew up.
“Sorry, your kid’s high school volleyball team just doesn’t matter that much. It is no more important than the life of a single child.’
But it’s the allegedly unfair physical advantage some transgender athletes have over cisgender women that has sparked outrage in the United States.
In addition to the many international sports organizations that are enacting laws against trans athletes, many US states are in the process of enacting similar laws. Texas is pushing for new laws regarding trans youth.
“We’re all about ‘God forbid a trans person succeeds in sports,'” Rapinoe added. ‘Get a grip on reality and take a step back.’
Caitlyn Jenner was a well-known transgender woman who spoke out against Rapinoe’s position and celebrated FINA’s ban on transgender women from competing in women’s races if they complete their transition after age 12.
The decathlete shared her joy shortly after the announcement on Sunday, writing: “It worked! I took a lot of heat – but what’s fair is fair! If you go through male puberty, you shouldn’t be able to take medals away from women. Period.’
To enter the competition, transgender swimmers must demonstrate to the federation that they have consistently lowered their testosterone levels since that age.
Jenner followed up on this news by tweeting ‘s story about the ban.
Jenner, 72, won a gold medal in the men’s decathlon as Bruce at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. She also won gold in the same competition at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City.
Lia Thomas has broken a number of women’s swimming records for the NCAA since transitioning to womanhood
She has sparked controversy, with experts claiming she has an “unfair” advantage because she went through male puberty and her fellow contestants refused to pose for a picture with her
However, to accommodate transgender athletes, FINA establishes an “open category” for transgender athletes to compete in events such as the World Aquatics Championships, World Aquatics Championships and World Swimming Cup.
British trans cyclist Emily Bridges was recently banned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world governing body, from competing against Olympic legend Laura Kenny at the National Omnium Championships.
The level of testosterone in a young, healthy male ranges from 20 to 30 nanomoles per liter (the measure of testosterone), compared to a legitimate range of 0.7 to 2.8 in a woman.
Such a policy would prevent Thomas from competing in international events that would improve her standing in international swimming and potentially earn her a spot at the Olympics – which she would like to compete in in the future, she said in a recent interview.
However, her rapid rise to the top of the women’s chart has caused an uproar in the United States, with many arguing that she has an unfair physical advantage over her peers.
Megan Rapinoe has been a vocal advocate for a range of social justice issues, including gender equality in sport and the fight for equal pay between men’s and women’s international teams.
She has also been a consistent advocate for transgender rights.
In 2019, Rapinoe – along with other female players – sued US Soccer to seek equal pay with their male counterparts.