'Do you think it's fair?' Megan Rapinoe laughs at question about boys competing against girls at a young age

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Women's soccer legend and political activist Megan Rapinoe laughed off questions during a parade about young girls being forced to compete against boys in sports.

Rapinoe was being driven in a convertible BMW alongside partner Sue Bird during a Pride parade in Seattle, Washington. Rapinoe was reportedly the grand marshal of the parade, which was also led by the Boy Scouts of America, according to OutKick.

As she was literally paraded through the progressive city, Rapinoe was asked by reporter Katie Daviscourt about losing a 2017 scrimmage to teenage boys.

'Why doesn't she want the same opportunities for the young girls who look up to her?'

"Your U.S. women's soccer team famously lost to high school boys. Do you really think it's fair for the same boys to be competing in women's sports?" Daviscourt asked.

Rapinoe responded with laughter and proceeded to take a sip of a drink from a red plastic cup.

"Do you think it's fair?" the reporter continued. "Why should trans people compete against young girls? Do you not think that they're gonna get hurt?"

As the reporter tried to get an answer from the retired soccer player, a security guard repeatedly attempted to block her camera before parlaying his interference into dance moves.

— (@)

Daviscourt later questioned how Rapinoe might have fared in her career if she was forced to compete against males.

"Megan was a phenomenal soccer player and has the opportunity to safeguard women's sports," the reporter told Blaze News. "If the best team in the world at the time couldn't beat 14-year-old boys, why does she think it's fair for these same-aged boys to compete against young girls at a much lower level?"

"Megan was fortunate not to have to compete against boys growing up, which could have changed the trajectory of her career. Why doesn't she want the same opportunities for the young girls who look up to her?" the reporter added.

Daviscourt was referring to a 2017 scrimmage between the U.S. women's national soccer team and the under-15 academy for Major League Soccer team FC Dallas.

The boys beat the adult women 5-2, CBS Sports reported.

One of the boys pictured at the time was Tanner Tessman, who went on to play professionally for FC Dallas starting in 2020. The 22-year-old now plays in the top Italian league for Venezia FC.

Tessman helped his team gain promotion to the top tier of Italian soccer with seven goals in the 2023-2024 season.

The Birmingham, Alabama, native is valued at $7.5 million by website Transfer Markt after being sent to the Italy club for just under $4 million in 2021.

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'I don't see a problem': Dutch soccer player Nathan Ake defends Netherlands fans accused of blackface

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An active Dutch soccer player stood up for three fans who were impersonating an iconic player and were accused of doing "blackface" in the process.

During a game against Poland at the 2024 UEFA European Championships, three fans of the Netherlands painted their faces and wore wigs to imitate the look of former player Ruud Gullit, an iconic figure in Dutch soccer who was on the 1988 team that won the same tournament.

The three men were criticized online for their portrayals of the soccer legend, with many subsequent media articles publicizing the appearance.

However, the fans have not faced condemnation from the Dutch team with at least one of the players coming to their defense.

Defender Nathan Ake, who also plays for one of the top teams in the world at Manchester City, was asked by a reporter to address the controversy during a recent press conference.

'The last thing I want to do is hurt people and that's why I've decided to stop.'

"[The] community has become quite angry about a number of lookalikes of Ruud Gullit with shoe polish on their face. What is your opinion about it, and especially Nathan who is often seen as a [look alike]," the reporter stated. Ake explained that the gesture didn't bother him.

"I don't see a problem," Ake said, according to SportBible. "Can I be honest here? These topics are getting out of hand, we should be allowing things like this to happen."

"Ruud Gullit already said he finds it an honor too. Let's stop making a problem out of things like this," Ake added.

Manager Ronald Koeman simply stated, "Yes, I agree."

According to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, Gullit himself said, "I actually feel honored," in reference to the fans.

One of those fans was identified as Bart van de Ven; he was asked about the reactions his costume had garnered.

"Maybe I made a mistake or it's a blind spot," he said, according to Dutch News. The fan noted he wouldn't be dressing up any longer due to the reactions he got online, despite allegedly wearing the same costume at many major tournaments.

"The last thing I want to do is hurt people and that's why I've decided to stop."

"I've had a lot of really nice responses as well, but clearly there is a group who feel differently," he continued.

"I have to respect that and listen to it. The last thing I want is for people to have a certain unpleasant association with my act," he said, referring to blackface.

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English soccer fans face fines over '10 German Bombers' chant in Germany — even though it's actually anti-Nazi

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English authorities have suggested that soccer fans could face fines for chanting offensive songs while in Germany for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship.

The country warned its traveling fans that singing allegedly offensive songs could result in fines while abroad, according to the BBC. Authorities suggested that if fans refused to stop when asked, it could be deemed as a possible public order offense.

Large swaths of partying English fans have been recorded singing a song called "10 German Bombers" while on the streets or in pubs in Germany.

The song is in reference to World War II air battles between the British Royal Air Force and the Nazi Luftwaffe. The lyrics of the song, which are sung to the tune of "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain," are typically as follows:

"There were 10 German bombers in the air.
There were 10 German bombers in the air.
There were 10 German bombers, 10 German bombers, 10 German bombers in the air.
And the RAF from England shot one down.
And the RAF from England shot one down.
And the RAF from England, RAF from England, RAF from England shot one down."

'German police will take action against those breaking the law. This action can include heavy fines and custodial sentences.'

The head of Germany's National Police Coordination Centre said that any fines depended on the circumstance:

"First they can expect communication. ... It's perhaps not an offence, but it's very, very impolite. So please stop this," Oliver Strudthoff said.

A spokesperson from the U.K. Football Policing Unit urged fans to be mindful of local culture and "be good guests."

"Willfully acting in a way to cause offence could result in a heightened risk to your personal safety, and German police will take action against those breaking the law. This action can include heavy fines and custodial sentences," the spokesperson added.

English soccer fans have been punished for causing offense or otherwise being mean at soccer games in their own country. The term "tragedy chanting" was even coined to identify songs about tragedies that were not allowed to be sung.

Twice in June 2023, fans were punished for their actions at English stadiums.

One man was arrested for wearing a shirt that said "not enough" with the number 97 on it. This was in reference to a tragedy that took the lives of 97 Liverpool soccer fans in 1989 when a section of stadium seating collapsed.

Days later, a second man was cited for intentionally mocking the same tragedy, and reportedly admitted to intentionally causing harassment, alarm, or distress. That fan was sentenced to 12 months of community service and ordered to pay a total of £314, which equates to about $400.

There was not equal outrage for the "10 German Bombers" song when it was repurposed by Ukrainian soccer fans — with the lyrics handed out across the stadium — to mock the Russian military in March 2023.

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Spanish soccer fans sentenced to 8 months in prison for racial chants at player Vinícius Júnior

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Three soccer fans were sentenced to eight months in prison and issued a two-year ban from soccer stadiums in Spain after allegedly racially abusing a Brazilian player.

During a May 2023 game between top-tier soccer clubs Real Madrid and Valencia, fans of Valencia made racially charged chants in their stadium directed at star player Vinícius Júnior.

The game at Mestalla Stadium was delayed for about 10 minutes as the player nicknamed Vini Jr. called out spectators in the crowd, and requested officials put a stop to their racial remarks.

Fans were heard continuously chanting "mono" (monkey) as well as "Vinícius die."

Following the game, Real Madrid filed a hate-crime complaint and three fans, who remain unnamed, were arrested.

The fans were found guilty of a crime against moral integrity with the aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on racist motives, NBC News reported.

The eight-month sentence was accompanied by a two-year ban from soccer stadiums, along with the defendants having to pay for all court proceedings.

TMZ noted that the punishment was initially a 12-month prison sentence combined with a three-year stadium ban until the accused accepted criminal responsibility, at which point their sentence was reduced.

'This ruling is great news regarding the fight against racism in Spain.'

Vinícius Júnior has received a considerable amount of verbal abuse from soccer fans between 2023-2024. He was seen crying when thousands of fans chanted "mono" at him during the match in Spain in 2023.

Just a couple weeks later in Spain, a mannequin wearing the player's jersey was hung from a bridge by its neck with a rope. The doll was hanging beneath a giant banner that read "MADRID ODIA AL REAL," which translated to "Madrid Hates Real," referring to rival team Real Madrid.

In February 2024, Vinícius Júnior was pictured in Morocco playing soccer with some local children. After the public event, a video circulated of young soccer fans recording the player while saying, "Hey black! Hey monkey!" and even, "Here's a slave playing in our neighborhood," a video posted online claimed.

During a press conference, Vini Jr. shed tears as he said, "I just want to play football."

"I just want to do everything for my club and my family," he added.

Javier Tebas, president of Spanish soccer league La Liga, said, "This ruling is great news regarding the fight against racism in Spain."

"It redresses the wrong suffered by Vinicius Junior and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse. La Liga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them," Tebas also said.

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Muslim soccer player suspended 4 games for covering up anti-homophobia patch on his jersey

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Muslim soccer player Mohamed Camara was suspended four games for covering a pro-gay patch on his jersey with tape.

Camara is from Mali and plays in the top French soccer league, Ligue 1. His team is AS Monaco, which is consistently one of the better performing teams in Europe and currently second in the league standings at the time of this writing.

The patch said "homophobie football" with a red line through it to denote it was against homophobia; Camara covered it with white tape. He also declined to stand in front of an anti-homophobia banner before the game, both for religious reasons.

Camara played five years in Austria before making the move to the bigger French club, but his status was not enough to avoid his team handing down a four-game suspension for refusing to participate in the initiative.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel, known as the FLP, which governs French soccer, released a statement that said, "After hearing the player Mohamed Camara, and noting his refusal during the meeting to carry out one or more actions to raise awareness of the fight against homophobia, the Commission decided to impose a four-match suspension."

'I think such behavior must be subject to the strongest sanctions against the player and the club.'

Monaco's CEO Thiago Scuro said that his team supported the league's pro-gay campaign and will have discussions with the Malian player.

"It was a personal initiative from Mo Camara. We will have this conversation with Mo internally. Internally, we will discuss this situation," Scuro said, according to Daily Mail.

The government also took issue with the player's beliefs, as French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said both Camara and Monaco should be punished.

"It is unacceptable behavior," she reportedly told a radio station. "I had the chance to tell the Ligue de Professionnel what I thought about it, and I think such behavior must be subject to the strongest sanctions against the player and the club which allowed it to happen."

As reported by Outkick, the French soccer league launched its initiative on May 17, 2024, with the proclamation, "Let's get rid of discrimination and homophobia!"

"The LFP is continuing its major anti-discrimination campaign, with a new section dedicated to the fight against homophobia. Seven weeks after an exceptional mobilisation on a day dedicated to the fight against racism, French professional football is mobilising to fight homophobia in a totally unprecedented way at all Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT stadiums," the league said.

Camara received support from his home country through the Mali football federation, which said it supports his freedom of speech.

Monaco won its game against Nantes 4-0 with Camara scoring a penalty kick.

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FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Manchester City Manager Ignoring An Israeli Representative?

A post shared on social media purportedly shows Manchester City Soccer Manager Pep Guardiola ignored an Israeli representative at a recent match. Verdict: False The claim is inaccurate. The man in the video is not an Israeli representative. Fact Check: The Israel Defense Force recently announced that they have taken control of most of the Gaza-Egypt border […]

'Calling a man a man is not bullying': JK Rowling doubles down after media outcry over her saying trans soccer coach is a man

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Celebrated author of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling reiterated her stance after outcry over her remarks describing a man — who is identifying as a woman — as a man.

Rowling has placed herself in the middle of a culture war in defense of women against transgender individuals, whom she has described as being "caricatures" of women.

The author made comments in reference to an English women's soccer coach for Sutton United F.C., who goes by the name Lucy Clark.

Clark is a former referee who has been seen wearing wigs but most recently was pictured with dyed pink hair.

Rowling was responding to a since-deleted post from Pride UK that cited Clark as "the world's first openly transgender referee."

Stating that he has "made history by becoming the first trans manager in the top 5 divisions of English women's football. The former referee has taken over at Sutton United. Fabulous!" it read, followed by gay and transgender pride flags.

"When I was young all the football managers were straight, white, middle-aged blokes, so it's fantastic to see how much things have changed," Rowling wrote in response.

When I was young all the football managers were straight, white, middle-aged blokes, so it's fantastic to see how much things have changed.
— (@)

Rowling doubled down the next day in response to an article from the Daily Mail who said that Rowling was accused of "cruelty" for mocking a "transgender football manager by comparing her to a 'straight, white, middle-aged bloke.'"

In a bare-bones reply, Rowling noted that she wasn't saying he was like a man, but rather that Clark is a man.

"I didn't compare him to one. He IS one," she said on X.

I didn\u2019t compare him to one. He IS one.
— (@)

The 58-year-old continued and responded to allegations that she was bullying the soccer coach.

"Calling a man a man is not 'bullying' or 'punching down.' Crossdressing straight men are currently one of the most pandered-to demographics in existence, and women are under no obligation to applaud the people caricaturing us."

A writer for New York magazine named Jonathan Chait told Rowling to "just call people what they want to be called."

"It's basic decency," he claimed.

"Stop telling women what they're allowed to say, Jonathan. It's basic decency," Rowling replied.

Calling a man a man is not 'bullying' or 'punching down.' Crossdressing straight men are currently one of the most pandered-to demographics in existence, and women are under no obligation to applaud the people caricaturing us.
— (@)
@jonathanchait Stop telling women what they're allowed to say, Jonathan. It's basic decency.
— (@)

Clark spoke to outlet London Football Scene weeks earlier and said at the time that "there was never a transgender referee or manager before" him, "except for two small occasions," and added that the "footballing world" has been great to him since announcing that he believes he's a woman.

Speaking on his appointment to Sutton's managerial role, he said that he "never wanted it to be about" himself and recognized that "it's not personal – it's hatred of the trans community as a whole," he justified.

Shame on @prideukorg for using this photo of Lucy Clark which is causing so much ridicule. A quick search of the internet reveals how beautiful & natural she is when not posing for the camera.
— (@)

"Since when was expressing a biological fact mean or considered mocking? Where did all the 'follow the science' crowd go?" English commentator Lewis Brackpool asked.

Brackpool, who grew up less than an hour from Sutton, told Blaze News that while he has "disagreements with Rowling politically," many on the right "can’t help but notice the vitriol against women for recognizing that cross dressers entering female spaces is not acceptable."

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Megan Rapinoe's production company announces 'bold' series about lesbian soccer players who play on the US national team

Megan Rapinoe's production company announces 'bold' series about lesbian soccer players who play on the US national team



In what seems rather true to life, lesbian and former United States Women's National Soccer Team player Megan Rapinoe has announced her company will produce a series about lesbians who fall in love while playing on the same women's national soccer team.

Based on the 2023 book "Cleat Cute," Rapinoe and her partner, Sue Bird — former WNBA player — will produce a series through their production company called A Touch More.

According to Good Reads, the source material is based on a female soccer player on the U.S. team who is injured and faces being replaced by a younger player. They become "friends with benefits," and one girl seems to have more romantic feelings than the other.

"As the tension between them grows, will both players realize they care more about their relationship than making the roster?" a synopsis read.

The new adaptation was described by Variety as "a contemporary queer romance that follows a young soccer player as she juggles being the new rookie, her goals of making the national team, and a budding romance with her team captain."

"Having spent most of our lives on teams, we want to celebrate the ways in which relationships, both romantic and platonic, are organically created through sports," Bird and Rapinoe said in a statement. "'Cleat Cute' will not shy away from the messiness, occasional frustration, and undeniable beauty that come with loving the game and the players within it," they added.

yall. YALL. i need everyone to order this book RIGHT NOW. run don\u2019t walk because it has lesbians. it has soccer. this story is for the autistic and ADHD people. it\u2019s fun and charming and chaotic and so SO addictive. i\u2019m obsessed. please do yourself a favour and buy CLEAT CUTE!!!!
— (@)

"Sports is a universal language and breeding ground for world-class storytelling," said Jeff Wachtel, CEO of Future Shack, the independent studio that will create the show.

"As women’s sports captivate audiences around the globe, we're proud to partner with two of the most iconic athletes of our time, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, to bring Meryl Wilsner's delightful world to life in a bold, sexy, and fun ensemble show," Wachtel also said.

A Touch More was launched by the two former athletes in 2022. They describe the company as a "manifestation" of their values.

"As athletes, we know how powerful our platforms are and the impact we can have on the world," they told Variety after the launch. "A Touch More is a manifestation of our values, and our desire to bring to the surface stories of those who shape and move culture forward. We're incredibly excited for some of the projects we have in the works and can't wait to share more about this next chapter."

As well, A Touch More was founded in collaboration with Bird's company Togethxr, which works with pro athletes Alex Morgan (soccer), Chloe Kim (snowboarding), and Simone Manuel (swimming).

The company's about page says it is an "unapologetic platform where representation and equality is the norm ... where culture, activism, lifestyle, and sports converge." The term "badassery" appeared to have been removed from the company description at some point since its 2022 launch.

It of course added that its content will feature a "diverse" and "inclusive" community of "game changers, culture shapers, thought leaders, and barrier breakers."

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Megan Rapinoe shames Korbin Albert for reposting a Christian testimony, but Albert bending the knee is far more problematic

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When U.S. Women’s National Team player Korbin Albert reposted a TikTok of a young man’s testimony about his Christian faith and recovery from homosexuality and transgenderism, she probably thought she was doing something good.

And she was.

Just not according to Megan Rapinoe, who Allie Beth Stuckey calls a “completely insufferable, progressive activist” – and for good reason. During the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Rapinoe was so radical and divisive, she had half the country rooting against the United States.

When Albert reposted the video, Rapinoe, per her typical character, was quick to issue the following scathing statement on Instagram:

“For people who want to hide behind ‘my beliefs’ I would just ask one question, are you making any type of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone? ... because if you aren’t, all you believe in is hate. And kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate. Wake TF up! Yours truly, #15. For all my trans homies enduring this horrific treatment day in and day out, I see you and hear you and I am WITH YOU.”

Unfortunately, instead of sticking to her guns, Albert quickly bent the knee and issued an apology for sharing content that was “offensive, insensitive and hurtful,” claiming that she was “really disappointed in [herself]” and would “do better.”

Allie is disappointed in Albert’s response.

“Just looking at the objective standard of God's word, this was the wrong thing to do,” she says. “This was sin to apologize for this. If the word of God says something, it is good enough for us to repeat.”

“The word of God divides; the gospel divides; the truth about who God made us to be in his image and that his gospel liberates us from the lies of the world ... is a controversial and radical and divisive message,” says Allie, adding that regardless of the cost to us, God’s word “is worth standing on.”

Allie hopes that Albert will indeed “do better” but rather “in accordance with God’s standards” rather than the woke mob’s.

To hear more, watch the clip below.


Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Korbin Albert Bows to the Mob & Megan Rapinoe

Korbin Albert Bows to the Mob & Megan Rapinoe