Megan Rapinoe was confronted by a reporter at Seattle Pride and asked to explain her controversial view that trans athletes should be able to compete against biological women.
The 38-year-old former soccer star was the “Grand Marshall” of the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, sitting atop an open-top car alongside his fiancée, WNBA legend Sue Bird.
Midway through the parade, as the crowd watched from the road, Rapinoe was confronted by a reporter from the postmillennialwho demanded answers about his views on trans athletes in women’s sport.
After approaching Rapinoe’s car, the reporter can be heard saying: ‘Your U.S. women’s soccer team famously lost to high school boys… do you really think it’s fair for these same boys to compete in girls’ sports?’
Midway through the question, Rapinoe is seen laughing at the journalist, before turning to her fiancé and quietly muttering, “Oh my God.”
Megan Rapinoe is surprised after being questioned about her controversial opinions on trans athletes
Her wife, WNBA legend Sue Bird, comforted her after being confronted by a reporter.
She then bends down to pick up her drink, before Bird, a Seattle Storm basketball legend, puts his arm around Rapinoe’s shoulder to comfort her.
Not happy with the answer, the journalist, Katie Daviscourt, continues investigating while a security guard stands between her and Rapinoe’s car.
Despite being blocked, Daviscourt continues: ‘Do you think it’s fair? Why should trans people have to compete with young girls? Do you think they’re going to get hurt?’
Rapinoe’s car then drives away to continue the parade, and she can be seen applauding the crowd as she leaves the reporter behind her.
On social media, fans immediately attacked Rapinoe, with one calling her “disgusting,” while another added: “It’s important to educate the public on what kind of person Megan Rapinoe is.”
Elsewhere, another X user wrote: ‘This answer says a lot.’
Rapinoe is now retired, but as a soccer player she was once defeated by a team of 15-year-old boys.
A security guard blocks a journalist who tries to question Rapinoe about her controversial views.
The soccer match the journalist refers to took place in 2017, and saw Rapinoe captain the starting eleven of the United States Women’s National Team against a group of children under the age of 15 in Dallas.
The game was organized to prepare the U.S. team for an international match against Russia, but ultimately ended in embarrassment, with the boys going on to fail to win 5-2.
In the years since, USWNT players have confirmed the match did take place, with Carli Lloyd admitting, “Yeah, that’s right… they were good!”
Rapinoe has spoken out on numerous occasions in favor of trans athletes competing in sports (particularly in her home field, soccer) and has received much criticism for her controversial opinion.
Recently, Piers Morgan called her “disgraceful” for her involvement in a letter to the NCAA urging it not to ban trans athletes from competing in women’s sports.
Rapinoe, her wife Sue Bird and a host of other stars including WNBA players Brianna Turner and Layshia Clarendon co-signed the letter, which says the biggest problems in women’s sports are “pay inequality, rampant sexual abuse and harassment of women and girl athletes, and the lack of equal resources for men’s and women’s teams.”
Rapinoe kneels before a game with the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2022
Piers Morgan led a recent backlash against Rapinoe, calling her “disgraceful” for signing a letter.
The letter adds: “By banning transgender athletes, you would be severely limiting your member institutions’ ability to protect and support their athletes. You would also be actively disparaging transgender athletes – the very athletes you chose to protect when you agreed to serve on the Board of Governors.”
Morgan led the backlash in April, responding to news of the letter in X by writing, “It’s shameful to see women actively support injustice and equality against women.”
In July last year, before retiring from football, he said he would welcome a trans player into the national team.
“Absolutely,” she told Time. “You’re taking the place of a ‘real’ woman — that’s the part of the argument that remains extremely transphobic. I see trans women as real women. What you’re automatically saying in the argument — you’re already giving yourself away — is that you don’t believe these people are women. Therefore, they’re taking the place of someone else. I don’t feel that way.”
Rapinoe poses for a photo alongside her fiancé Bird at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere this month
He has also angered former US President Donald Trump with his comments in the past.
Rapinoe is an outspoken LBGTQ+ advocate who helped American players obtain a new labor agreement with the USSF that effectively pays female athletes the same as their male counterparts.
“We as a country are trying to legislate to take away people’s full humanity,” he said.
She specifically addressed those who claim to protect women’s sport.
“It’s particularly frustrating when women’s sports are weaponized,” she continued. ‘Oh, now we care about justice? Do we care about women’s sports now? That’s total nonsense. And show me all the trans people who are taking harmful advantage of being trans in sports. “It’s just not happening.”