Megan Rapinoe Was Her Childhood Hero. Then Rapinoe Said She Had Hate in Her Heart.

[00:00:00]Megan Rapinoe was actually like my soccer childhood hero. Um so it was hard because I saw I played a similar to her. I played similar position.

[00:00:12]And so I always tried to emulate her whenever I was on the field. And whenever she came out and said that it was so heartbreaking to me because it was somebody who on one hand I wanted to emulate and I looked up to. And then for her to take the stance that biological reality doesn't matter was so sad and heartbreaking to me and I I think I tweeted once like 5 years ago or a while ago and I said wow, all of these athletes in other sports are standing up for the little girls who are in there and I continue to be let down by members of the US women's national team. And that's how many of the soccer players have felt.

[00:00:55]>> Did was there a response?

[00:00:57]>> No.

[00:00:58]>> No.

[00:00:59]>> Yeah.

[00:01:00]I think and I love all your opinions.

[00:01:03]Deep down they know.

[00:01:07]They don't maybe want to believe it.

[00:01:09]But that's why there's not a response or silence.

[00:01:13]Because deep down don't you think people know that I mean I we can't speak for everybody.

[00:01:18]But these aren't they're not idiots.

[00:01:21]Like we all know the truth, right? What What What do you think is the reason why I mean we'll talk about you know on the personal level or maybe people that you know directly in a minute.

[00:01:32]But people like Megan who have massive platforms and have been strong women that we've all looked up to.

[00:01:41]I know you can't speak for her, but as you've thought through this, why do you think they have gone the other direction?

[00:01:49]>> That's a hard question cuz like you said, we can't speak for them. I don't know what their life experience has had, but I'm sure that their career would have gone a lot different had they had a non-fair playing field to build it on.

[00:02:00]>> Well, I think they lost against a U15 boys team.

[00:02:03]>> I was just thinking that.

[00:02:05]>> Yeah.

[00:02:06]>> They did.

[00:02:08]>> Also, recently, and this one really upset me and I think I mouthed off about this on Twitter, too.

[00:02:14]>> [laughter] >> Um, but it is in the NWSL and there's a I should know her name.

[00:02:19]Um, a woman on the team that is maybe in San Diego or Los Angeles who stood up as a professional men's soccer player and said, "Listen, I love everybody, but science is science and we know that this is wrong." And she had current teammates, one of them was the captain, right? Two women who held a press conference to basically crush that woman, their teammate, for saying that this is just for us. Do you remember who I'm talking about? Did you not see that? Do I need to write this whole part out?

[00:02:48]>> I remember that, but I was um, I don't remember exactly who it was. I think it was I think I was studying for the bar at the time.

[00:02:55]>> Good job.

[00:02:56]Stay off act. Stay off social media. I think it's just been, you know, devastating for me to see that when these are people that I, just from a fan's perspective, not even an athlete, have have looked up to. Okay, so more directly, um, with coaches, coaches who broke the news to you that you're going to have to compete against a boy.

[00:03:17]Um, other administrators, parents. Tell me about that experience and and what it was like for you to realize that you're going to have to do this on your own without, as we say, the adults in the room.

[00:03:30]>> Yeah. Well, thankfully, we both had our parents.

[00:03:33]>> Mhm.

[00:03:34]>> Um, when I brought the issue before my parents, my parents were like, "Why wouldn't you do that?" And I was like, "Oh, you're Yeah, you're right. Why why wouldn't I do that?" And I know I wanted to, but I just figured maybe they'd give me some pushback and not at all.

[00:03:48]Um, and so I'm just really grateful.

[00:03:50]Like, I have an amazing mom and an amazing dad that are strong people.

[00:03:56]And I'm going to get emotional, but I know that they'll stand by me through whatever happens, and I know deep in my heart that I am doing the right thing. Like we as women have nowhere else to go.

[00:04:10]In Connecticut, two men on a podium means one female on the podium. One more male, and there's no women on the podium.

[00:04:19]Men can compete against men, and it is fair.

[00:04:22]Women can compete against women, and it is fair.

[00:04:24]If you put men in women's sports, we have nowhere to go.

[00:04:29]So.

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