This story originally appeared on The Advocate.
While politicians continue to target transgender people and shift their positions, Megan Rapinoe remains steadfast in her support for trans athletes.
On the Who’s With Me? podcast, the soccer legend and out lesbian was asked by host W. Kamau Bell why she wasn’t afraid of trans women in sports. Rapinoe responded by challenging a familiar anti-trans talking point: that athletes can simply declare themselves women and compete.
“There’s a lot that trans people have to go through if you’re a trans person in sports to even play,” she began. “It’s like you couldn’t just say one day, 'I’m a woman,' and go play. That’s not how it works.”
She then questioned how critics of trans inclusion define fairness.
“God forbid somebody be good at sports and have some sort of advantage, which, by the way, sports is not fair in any sort of way ever. Right?” Rapinoe said.
“It’s like it’s not meant to be fair,” Bell agreed.
“Yeah. I’m like, what’s fair?” Rapinoe responded.
Rapinoe pointed to 7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, whose height and reach give him natural advantages on the court, and asked, “Is that fair?”
She explained that elite s...