ESPN broadcaster Sam Ponder shut Megan Rapinoe’s mouth for good when she defended her colleague Sage Steele after Rapinoe trashed Steele over comments about transgender participation in women’s sports.
Ponder said: “Sage says bio males shouldn’t compete in female sports and now she’s to blame for violence? This is an attempt to silence good-faith discussion and debate. Disagree passionately, say she’s wrong (& why) but to claim she is responsible for violence is absurd.”
Steeles said: “Yes Sam, it’s absurd. And predictable! This is what happens when ppl allow their emotions to get in the way of FACTS & SCIENCE. Especially when they’re fighting to keep a false narrative alive.
“You said it best after (USA Today columnist Nancy) Armour attacked you: ‘biology is not bigotry.’”
“I don’t want to mince words about it,” Rapinoe said.
“Dave Chappelle making jokes about trans people directly leads to violence, whether it’s verbal or otherwise, against trans people.
“When Martina or Sage or whoever are talking about this, people aren’t hearing it just in the context of elite sports.
“They’re saying, ‘The rest of my life, this is how I’m going to treat trans people.’”
Rapinoe, who is retiring so this does not affect her losing her place on the team, said she would “absolutely” accept a transgender woman on the U.S. women’s national team.
“‘You’re taking a “real” woman’s place,’ that’s the part of the argument that’s still extremely transphobic,” she said.
“I see trans women as real women.
“What you’re saying automatically in the argument—you’re sort of telling on yourself already—is you don’t believe these people are women.
“Therefore, they’re taking the other spot.
“I don’t feel that way.”
“It’s particularly frustrating when women’s sports is weaponized,” Rapinoe said.
“Oh, now we care about fairness?
“Now we care about women’s sports?
“That’s total bulls—.
“And show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports.
“It’s just not happening.”
Sage says bio males shouldn’t compete in female sports and now she’s to blame for violence? This is an attempt to silence good-faith discussion and debate. Disagree passionately, say she’s wrong (& why)… but to claim she is responsible for violence is absurd.
— Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) July 11, 2023
