Soccer superstar and political activist Megan Rapinoe argued in an interview published Sunday that female athletes and their parents need to suck it up over advantages biologically male transgender athletes might have over girls.
The forward told Time magazine she is “100% supportive” of “trans inclusion” in girls sports, dismissing concerns about fairness while emphasizing that people “need to understand that sports is not the most important thing in life.”
Rapinoe also argued that high-level sports are all about “regulation,” which the athlete apparently believes can erase trans athletes’ advantages. A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that’s not true.
“I would also encourage everyone out there who is afraid someone’s going to have an unfair advantage over their kid to really take a step back and think what are we actually talking about here,” the 36-year-old said. “We’re talking about people’s lives. I’m sorry, your kid’s high school volleyball team just isn’t that important.”
“And I think people also need to understand that sports is not the most important thing in life, right?” she continued. “Life is the most important thing in life.”
“We’re talking about kids,” Rapinoe said. “We’re talking about people’s lives. We’re talking about the entire state government coming down on one child in some states, three children in some states.”
The ESPY award-winner claimed without evidence that gender-confused children are committing suicide at higher rates “because they are being told that they’re gross and different and evil and sinful and they can’t play sports with their friends that they grew up with. Not to mention trying to take away health care.”
“I think it’s monstrous,” she added.
Rapinoe went on to argue that not many girls have been shortchanged by transgender athletes, yet, anyway.
“Show me the evidence that trans women are taking everyone’s scholarships, are dominating in every sport, are winning every title. I’m sorry, it’s just not happening,” she said. “So we need to start from inclusion, period. And as things arise, I have confidence that we can figure it out. But we can’t start at the opposite. That is cruel. And frankly, it’s just disgusting.”
“We need to really kind of take a step back and get a grip on what we’re really talking about here because people’s lives are at risk,” Rapinoe added. “Kids’ lives are at risk with the rates of suicide, the rates of depression and negative mental health and drug abuse.”
“We’re putting everything through God forbid a trans person be successful in sports. Get a grip on reality and take a step back,” she said.
Story cited here.
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