US soccer icon Megan Rapinoe has ignited a fierce controversy after publicly championing the inclusion of transgender athletes in competitive sports. The former US Women's National Team star, renowned for her social activism and vocal criticism of figures like Donald Trump, has become a central figure in a heated debate following her participation in a new American Civil Liberties Union initiative.
ACLU's 'More Than A Game' Campaign Draws Ire
The controversy stems from Rapinoe's involvement in the ACLU's recently launched campaign entitled 'More Than A Game.' This initiative sees the civil liberties organisation partnering with prominent women's sports figures to advocate for transgender youth, their families, and their fundamental right to express their identities. In a promotional video for the campaign, Rapinoe appears alongside her partner, former basketball player Sue Bird, and WNBA star Brianna Turner, delivering a powerful message: 'Supporting trans youth, isn’t just about sports. It’s about freedom.'
Jennifer Sey's Scathing Critique
However, this stance has provoked a vehement backlash from Jennifer Sey, a former national champion gymnast who has transitioned into a prominent activist for women's sports. Sey, who founded the clothing company XX-XY Athletics which explicitly 'stands up for women's sports,' has launched a scathing attack on both Rapinoe and the ACLU campaign.
In a candid interview with Fox News, Sey did not mince her words, accusing the soccer legend of being disingenuous. 'That ad makes me so angry... male advantage is greater than performance-enhancing drugs,' Sey stated, framing the issue as one of competitive fairness. She elaborated further, directly challenging Rapinoe's credibility as a top-tier athlete.
'Megan Rapinoe has to be one of the most competitive women on the planet. She was on Olympic teams and World Cup teams. She’s one of the most famous soccer players ever. She’s full of it,' Sey asserted. 'It just makes me angry, and she’s pulling up the ladder behind her. And I’m sure she would not have tolerated a single player taking performance-enhancing drugs because that provides an unfair advantage.'
Clash Over the Core Values of Sport
The dispute extends beyond personal criticism into a fundamental philosophical clash about the nature of athletic competition. Sey passionately argued that the ACLU advertisement is 'twisting what competitive sports are about.' She contrasted the campaign's emphasis on freedom and self-expression with her own definition of sporting ethos.
'If you want to be all about self-expression, then go enter a talent contest and sing. That’s not what sports are all about. So I find the ad infuriating,' she continued. Sey posited a starkly different vision: 'Sports are about competition. Sports are not about inclusion. Not everybody makes the team. Sports are competing and striving to get better, and it’s about self-reliance and picking yourself up when you fall down. They’re not about freedom.'
Concluding her critique, the former gymnast appealed to traditional sporting values, suggesting Rapinoe herself is betraying them. 'Get out there and be the best you can be and find the best in yourself. There’s a real satisfaction that comes from that. And Megan Rapinoe knows that,' Sey added, implying the soccer star's advocacy contradicts the very principles that underpinned her own legendary career.
This public row highlights the deepening cultural and political divisions surrounding transgender participation in athletics, pitting high-profile advocates for inclusion against defenders of traditional competitive structures in women's sports.
