Fansided

US Women’s National Team shows support for Caitlyn Jenner

By Luke Dahlgren

Credit: Vanity Fair
Credit: Vanity Fair /
facebooktwitterreddit

The US Women’s Soccer Team threw their support behind Caitlyn Jenner, who recently went through a gender transition.

The gender transition of US Olympic track legend Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner) caused an uproar throughout the internet following her appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair.

Jenner inspired both reactions of support and what can be generously called less than support. Count Abby Wambach and the US Women’s National Soccer Team in the former camp.

From USA Today:

"“All of us understand what it is like to be a minority in some way, shape or form,” Wambach told USA TODAY Sports last week. “Being a female. Being a female athlete, whether you are a homosexual female athlete, there are all these different levels. (The Jenner situation) touched me in so many ways. If you think about who he was previously in his life — as a decathlete, and a gold medal decathlete — he was the strongest man, he was supposed to embody all this testosterone and manliness.“To be brave enough to stand up and speak out for your specific minority is something not many people have the strength or courage to do. For me that is putting positivity in the world.”"

Sydney Leroux Dwyer also tweeted out her support for Jenner.

Hope Solo’s scumbaggery notwithstanding, the USWNT has been ahead on social issues. Unsurprisingly, this isn’t the first time that members of the USWNT have shown support for LGBT causes.

More from Soccer

Midfielder Megan Rapinoe came out as gay before the 2012 Summer Olympics, and has publicized her involvement in a number of organizations fighting anti-gay sentiments in sports and society. Others like Wambach have thrown support for LGBT rights before ever supporting Jenner.

Jenner could use all of the support she can get. Transgender acceptance is one of the few frontiers of social justice out there, and there will be enough of a pushback against her transition that social progress may not go as far as it should.

The validation from a club with the popularity and social pull like the USWNT is potent now. The FIFA Women’s World Cup starts this Saturday, and the Women’s team will be looking for their first Cup since 1999.

Caitlyn Jenner herself doesn’t need anyone’s validation, but the movement could use some. Support for Jenner means more than encouraging one trans woman; it means helping others trans people gain social acceptance at a critical moment for our society.

[H/T: USA Today]

More from Soccer

Home/Soccer