Riley Gaines, a former NCAA star swimmer at Kentucky, has accused Megan Rapinoe of «virtue signaling» as a soccer star and others have pushed back against the Women and Girls in Sports Protection Act.
Gaines reacted to Rapinoe’s tweet from March. The backlash also came the same day that Rapinoe, Sue Bird and 38 others signed a letter from Athlete Ally to House lawmakers opposing the law. Rapinoe Gaines’ tweet reacted to read: «Today, DC politicians claim they ‘protect women’s sports’ by pushing for a ban on trans and intersex sports. Call your representative in Congress today to say that women’s sports Women need protection from unequal pay, sexual abuse and lack of resources, NOT from trans children.»
«It’s worth noting that 1) you don’t play sports competitively anymore and 2) because you’re not sexually attracted to men, you’ll never have a daughter to defend. To me, this just seems like a sign of virtue because you have nothing to personally». lose,» Gaines wrote.
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Megan Rapinoe gestures during a SheBelieves Cup game between the United States and Japan at Geodis Park on February 19, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Rapinoe’s sexuality, however, has nothing to do with whether she might have a daughter in the future. Rapinoe is engaged to basketball legend Sue Bird.
«I can respect opinions that differ from my own and everyone has the right to think/speak independently, but I can’t help but think that Megan Rapinoe would genuinely take a stab at any man trying to take her place on the US Women’s National Team Gaines added.
Athlete Ally, an athlete group that supports LGBTQ+ initiatives, sent the letter Monday, according to Sports Illustrated. Athletes believe the bill would not protect women in sports, but would instead exclude women and girls from obtaining «mental and physical health benefits».
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«We believe that gender equality in sport is critical, which is why we urge lawmakers to focus their attention and effort on the causes women athletes have been fighting for for decades, including equal pay, an end to abuse and maltreatment, the uneven implementation of Title IX, and the lack of access and equity for girls of color and girls with disabilities, to name just a few.Our deepest hope is that transgender and intersex children never have to feel the isolation, exclusion, and otherness that HR 734 seeks to enshrine in law,» the letter says.
Kentucky’s Riley Gaines swims the 200 butterfly preliminary at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 19, 2022 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Biden administration’s proposal to outright ban transgender athletes came under scrutiny last week. The proposed rule states that general prohibitions would violate Title IX. It would be difficult for schools to ban, for example, a transgender girl from playing on a girls’ baseball team.
The proposed rule would leave room for schools to develop policies that prohibit trans athletes from playing on more competitive teams if those policies are designed to ensure fairness or prevent sports-related injuries.
Rep. Greg Steube, a Florida Republican, introduced the Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act in February. The bill seeks an amendment to Title IX «to provide that for purposes of determining compliance with Title IX of said Act in athletics, sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.» .
Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines after tying for fifth with University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas in the 200-meter freestyle final at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18, 2022 in Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The bill also says that it would be a violation of the law for «a recipient of federal financial assistance that operates, sponsors, or facilitates an athletic program or activity to allow a male person to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designed to women or girls.»
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House lawmakers can consider the bill next week.