US Women’s football star Megan Rapinoe has called bills banning transgender children from sports “another avenue to attack” trans rights.
In an opinion piece written for The Washington Post, the renowned footballer vocalised her opinions on trans rights and support LGBTQ+ youth.
“These bills are attempting to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. Transgender kids want the opportunity to play sports for the same reasons other kids do: to be a part of a team where they feel like they belong,” Rapinoe wrote.
“Proponents of these bills argue that they are protecting women. As a woman who has played sports my whole life, I know that the threats to women’s and girls’ sports are lack of funding, resources and media coverage; sexual harassment; and unequal pay.”
The footballer continued to explain how access to sports as a child and taught her “so much”.
“[sports] brought me so much joy. Every child deserves to have that experience,” she said. “That’s why I believe that all kids, including transgender youth, should be able to participate in sports they love.”
Data shows 26 state legislatures introduced over 40 bills to exclude trans youth from sports teams according to ACLU’s tracker. More shockingly, these figures reflect the first two months of 2021.
The wider societal impact of these bills can be felt at grassroots levels. Transgender youth are feeling more vulnerable and targeting due to their identity.
The Trevor Project reported, prior to the pandemic, 1 in 3 transgender youth reported attempting suicide in 2019.
The two-time FIFA world champion called out anti-trans legislators and politicians for introducing bills that discriminate against the LGBTQ+ youth.
“I know what it feels like to be singled out and treated differently. No one should be treated unfairly because of who they are — and that is especially true of kids,” she explained in the article.
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