Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird among 40 other athletes who signed letter opposing anti-transgender bill
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are among the 40 athletes who have signed a letter opposing the anti-transgender bill
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[Pic Credit: Yahoo Sports]
Opposing an anti-transgender bill, power couple Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird were among 40 athletes who signed an open letter to Congress on Tuesday. The couple joined their fellow professional, Olympic, and Paralympic athletes in raising their voices over a Republican-led bill. According to the bill, transgender woman athletes will be banned from participating in school sporting events which feature women.
In February, the ”Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023” was introduced. It has since sparked a lot of controversies and debates among fellow Athletes and lawmakers. If the bill is passed, it will become a part of Title IX legislation. Rapinoe had previously raised her concern in a tweet against the bill last month.
The USWNT star had mentioned that women’s sports needed protection from sexual abuse and lack of resources and deserved equal pay. Other athletes who have signed this letter include fellow teammate Becky Sauerbrunn and boxer Patricio Manuel. The latter became the first transgender man in US history to compete in a professional sport.
Riley Gaines hits out at Megan Rapinoe
A few days ago, the UK Athletics announced an immediate ban on transgender women from participating in women’s sports events. This move came after the World Athletics issued a similar ban at the international level. ”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”, a letter by Athlete Ally read.
Rapinoe signing the letter has also marked some debate on social media. Riley Gaines, who was once brutally assaulted during a women right’s speech at San Francisco University, hit out at the USWNT star before taking her tweets down. After taking some personal jibe at her, Gaines claimed that the USMNT star would never tolerate a man taking her place.
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird have themselves been on receiving end of hatred, criticism, and trolls over their gender. Rapinoe came out of the closet in 2012. She and Bird confirmed that they have been dating since 2016. Four years later in October 2022, the couple announced their engagement.
Despite the controversy surrounding her life, Rapinoe has proved to quality athlete. She won the golden boot and the golden ball awards at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup as USWNT retained their world title crown. Apart from that, she also won Olympic gold at the 2012 London Games. For her outstanding performances on the field, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2022 by US President Joe Biden.
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Siddid Dey Purkayastha
(528 Articles Published)