Just days before the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer match was set to begin in Australia and New Zealand Thursday, Nike Football released an ad championing women’s soccer pro Megan Rapinoe—an activist for “transgender” athletes competing in women’s sports—as an “All-American Hero.”
In a 1980s-themed animated commercial, Rapinoe is shown as a comic book superhero, saving kids from speeding cars, dribbling past monster robots on a soccer field, and hanging out at the beach with what some speculate is her real-life partner, WNBA player Sue Bird.
While these scenes flash by, the chorus repeatedly sings, “Megan Rapinoe. The All-American Hero.”
At first, the ad appears entirely patriotic because it bombards viewers with red and blue American colors, an American flag, and a robotic bald eagle flying alongside Rapinoe as she performs multiple feats.
As it progresses, underlying gay pride color themes emerge and showcase a different message.
An activist theme appears to override the American theme as Rapinoe speaks at a podium with gay pride flags flying behind her.
Rapinoe has been advocating for transgender athletes while also announcing her plan to retire at the end of this year’s National Women’s Soccer League season. Some say the timing is curious, as she herself will not be forced to compete against male athletes.
In a recent interview, Rapinoe said she would not oppose a transgender woman—in other words, a biological man—taking a biological woman’s place on the U.S. women’s soccer team.
While Rapinoe claims to not have an issue competing against biological males, she has experienced firsthand the dramatic difference between competing against men and women. Often to prepare for matches, the women’s soccer team will compete against boys’ teams.
In 2017, Rapinoe’s team played against an under age 15 boys’ team to prepare for a match and lost 5-2.
Despite this experience, Rapinoe says transgender women do not have an advantage over biological women. “Show me all the trans[gender] people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. It’s just not happening,” Rapinoe said in the article.
Riley Gaines, an advocate of only allowing women to compete in women’s sports who was forced to compete against biological male NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas, called out Rapinoe and challenged her to a debate on the statistics of males competing in their sports.
Rapinoe appears not to have responded to Gaine’s challenge.
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