American soccer star Alex Morgan on Wednesday supported the inclusion of transgender boys who play youth sports in competitions against the gender they identify with rather than their biological sex.
Morgan told reporters ahead of the upcoming SheBelieves Cup next week that she and her teammates aren’t going to «shuck away» from tough conversations or «take a stand for what’s right.» Her comments come after Becky Sauerbrunn wrote an op-ed in support of trans kids who also play sports.
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Alex Morgan greets fans during the international friendly match between the New Zealand Football Ferns and the United States at Sky Stadium on January 18, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
«Playing in Florida and Texas is something the team should definitely consider,» he said of bills in the state legislature restricting transgender girls from playing against biological girls.
«The inclusion of trans kids in sports is the inclusion of kids in sports. Everyone should have the ability to play sports. And the fact that so much is being taken up in politics is really sad. And I think that it’s at the expense of trans kids’ lives. It’s really sad, and I feel like what Becky said was great. And for this team, we’ve always been very vocal about our position and I think we’ll continue to do so.»
Alex Morgan is interviewed for the media during a US Women’s National Team player training camp at The Cloud on January 13, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
RILEY GAINES, FORMER KENTUCKY SWIMMING STAR, CALLS ON THOSE WHO PRIVATELY SUPPORTED TO COME OUT OF THE SHADOWS
Former Penn swimmer Lia Thomas’ appearance in the pool during the 2021-22 swim season ignited the debate as she began to take down opponents in solid fashion. The transgender athlete and the heated debate over her eligibility and whether it was fair for her to compete sparked a change in sports bodies.
Becky Sauerbrunn, #4 from the United States, warms up before a match between New Zealand and the United States at Sky Stadium on January 17, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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Sauerbrunn was the last to come out and support trans children. The 37-year-old center back wrote in the Springfield News-Leader that she can «assure you that playing with or against transgender women and girls is not a threat to women’s sports,» without explaining why.
Associated Press contributed to this report.