Anyone who follows sports, Diane Sawyer, or the Kardashians knows that this week, Bruce Jenner officially announced that he is a transgender woman. In a two hour-long interview with Diane Sawyer, Jenner explained that this is an issue he’s been dealing with for all of his life (and that he would prefer to be called he for the time being).
If there were any concerns about support for the former gold-medalist, however, members of the US Women’s National Team seem to be trying to alleviate them. Since the interview earlier this week, there has been an outpouring of support from prominent members of the national team. One of the most notable posts came from Megan Rapinoe, an active member of the LGBTQ community. Rapinoe is a member of Athlete Allies, an organization which encourages inclusion of LGBTQ athletes. Her response to Jenner’s coming out was simple: “You go girl.”
Rapinoe wasn’t alone in her kind words, however. Teammate Sydney Leroux took to Twitter to voice similar sentiments, telling Jenner, “The courage you have to be who you are is inspiring.” She added a photo of herself, Jenner, and teammates after winning her own Olympic gold medal. We’ve discussed time and time again the extent to which being and open member of the LGBTQ community affects both male and female athletes. We’ve also discussed how rarely athletes in the US make political statements. This week, those two issues came together when the members of Team USA made a decision to support one of their fellow Olympians.
Thanks for this thoughtful post, Brigid! I feel like it’s easy to focus on the political and social statements that athletes make during their careers, but this definitely shows that athletes and public figures can continue to make significant impacts long after their days of competition are over. It’s great to see the male and female athletes reaching out to Jenner. Hopefully this makes the entire community more inclusive.
Brigid, I think this is a really valuable and interesting post. Bruce Jenner’s interview definitely shed light on the LGBTQ community in a positive light, and it is wonderful to see athletes, specifically females, reaching out to him in a positive way. Sometimes it is hard to remember that Bruce Jenner was once considered the pinnacle of masculine athleticism. Seeing him be so open with his sexuality will hopefully pave the way for other athletes to do the same, and lead to a more accepting and inclusive culture.