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The National Women’s Soccer League is currently navigating a contentious debate sparked by Angel City FC’s standout player, Elizabeth Eddy. The issue at hand arises from Eddy’s public call for the league to establish “gender standards” to safeguard the integrity of women’s sports.
In a thought-provoking column for the New York Post, Eddy posed a significant question: “How do we preserve women’s rights and competitive fairness while fostering meaningful inclusion?” Her article delves into the delicate balance between fairness and inclusion, which she describes as fundamental American values. Eddy argues that while reasonable people may disagree on the specifics, it is crucial to engage in these discussions rather than ignore diverse perspectives. She suggests the NWSL implement a definitive standard, such as requiring players to be born with ovaries, akin to the Football Association’s rules, or employing an SRY gene test as seen in World Athletics and World Boxing.
This bold proposition has, however, stirred emotions among Eddy’s teammates, notably Sarah Gorden and Angelina Anderson. As reported by Fox News, both players expressed their discontent with Eddy’s stance, which they perceive as a threat to the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Gorden, speaking out on Friday, emphasized that Eddy’s article does not reflect the sentiment within their team. “I’ve had numerous conversations with my teammates over the past few days. They are hurt, harmed, and disgusted by some of the things mentioned in the article. It’s crucial for me to voice that,” Gorden asserted, underscoring the division Eddy’s comments have caused within the locker room.
“That article does not speak for this team in this locker room. I’ve had a lot of (conversations) with my teammates in the past few days and they are hurt and they are harmed by the article, and also, they are disgusted by some of the things that were said in the article and it’s really important for me to say that,” Gorden said in response on Friday.
“We don’t agree with the things written for a plethora of reasons, but mostly the undertones come across as transphobic and racist as well. The article calls for genetic testing on certain players and it has a photo of an African player as a headline,” she continued. “That’s very harmful, and to me, it’s inherently racist because to single out this community based on them looking or being different is absolutely a problem. As a mixed woman, with a Black family, I’m devastated by the undertones of this article.”
Anderson talked about the team and Los Angeles being “founded upon inclusivity.”
“For me personally when I think of LA, and I think of Angel City, I think of a place that was founded upon inclusivity and love for all people – that’s what our locker room is, that what our staff is, that’s what our fan base is. Angel City is a place for everyone. It always will be. That’s how it was from the beginning, that’s how it will always be. Period,” she said.
“I think this situation, there’s an element of timing to it where this feels like another really big challenge that we have to go through as a team on top of an already really challenging year,” she continued. “And it’s definitely not the note that we as a group want to end on, and so I just want everyone to know that we’re doing our best in the locker room to preserve respect and belonging on this team and we look forward to ending the season on as positive of a note as possible.”
The NWSL told The Athletic in response to Eddy’s column that the league is “committed to working directly with the NWSL Players Association on any changes to our league policies.”
