Hundreds of athletes urge the NCAA not to ban trans athletes from women’s sports
A group of more than 400 current and former Olympic, professional and collegiate athletes, over 300 academics and roughly 100 advocacy groups released separate letters Tuesday urging the NCAA not to ban transgender women from competing in women’s college sports.
A group of more than 400 current and former Olympic, professional and collegiate athletes, over 300 academics and roughly 100 advocacy groups released separate letters Tuesday urging the NCAA not to ban transgender women from competing in women’s college sports.
The letters were coordinated by LGBTQ sports advocacy group Athlete Ally, and the signatories include former U.S. Women’s National Team soccer co-captain Megan Rapinoe, former WNBA and Olympic basketball star Sue Bird, and former NFL defensive end R.K. Russell.
“We call on you to be on the right side of history and affirm that sport is truly for us all,” the letter signed by the athletes reads. “Do not ban transgender women from NCAA women’s sports.”
In a separate statement from Rapinoe, arguably the most famous athlete to sign, the two-time Olympic medalist said “bans against trans athletes framed as ‘protecting women’s sports’ do not speak for us, and do nothing to protect us.”
“The time is now for the NCAA and the nationwide athletic community to speak up and affirm that sports should be for everyone, including transgender athletes,” Rapinoe said in the statement, which was released by Athlete Ally.
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