ESPN broadcaster Sam Ponder defended her colleague Sage Steele Tuesday (July 11) after US soccer star Megan Rapinoe sideswiped Steele's comments about transgender participation in women's sports.
Rapinoe said in an interview with Time Magazine that when people like Martina Navratilova and Steele were talking about fairness and equality in women's sports, they were really talking about how they were going to treat transgender people for the rest of their lives. She also equated Dave Chappelle's jokes about transgender people to "violence."
The soccer player also dismissed people's perspectives about fairness in women's sports as "bulls***," reasoning that trans athletes taking advantage in women's sports were "just not happening."
Rapinoe added she would "absolutely" accept a transgender woman on the US women's national team to prove her point.
"'You're taking a "real" woman's place,' that's part of the argument that's still extremely transphobic," she added. "I see trans women as real women."
Rapinoe was one of 40 professional athletes who signed a letter to US House lawmakers in April in opposition to the Protection of Girls and Women in Sports Act, arguing the bill would exclude women and girls from getting "mental and physical health benefits."
Sage says bio males shouldn’t compete in female sports and now she’s to blame for violence? This is an attempt to silence good-faith discussion and debate. Disagree passionately, say she’s wrong (& why)… but to claim she is responsible for violence is absurd.
— Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) July 11, 2023
Ponder and Steele's Twitter Tag-Team
However, Ponder disagreed with the sentiment, saying the dismissal of opposing views about transgenders in the sports narrative was concerning. "This is an attempt to silence good-faith discussion and debate," she wrote on Twitter. "Disagree passionately, say she's wrong (& why)...but to claim she is responsible for violence is absurd."
Yes Sam...it's absurd.
— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) July 11, 2023
And predictable!
This is what happens when ppl allow their emotions to get in the way of FACTS & SCIENCE. Esp when they're fighting to keep a false narrative alive. You said it best after Armour attacked you: "biology is not bigotry"#SaveWomensSports https://t.co/JAIIbvmbfZ
Steele responded to her fellow presenter, saying the claims were "absurd" and "predictable.
"This is what happens when [people] allow their emotions to get in the way of facts and science, [especially] when they're fighting to keep a false narrative alive," she added. "You said it best after (USA Today columnist Nancy) Armour attacked you: 'Biology is not bigotry.'"
Steele was earlier known for expressing support for former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines after her coming up against trans swimmer Lia Thomas, which put her job with the Disney-controlled network at risk. She supported Gaines's advocacy to keep women's sports fair and called out what has occurred with trans people overtaking women's sports as "ridiculous," "heartbreaking," and "difficult to watch," as well as adding the hashtag "#savewomensports."
Steele came to Ponder's defense after Armour attacked Ponder's views on transgender participation in women's sports last May.
According to multiple reports, Ponder and Steele would likely be the only ones on ESPN who are personally opposed to trans women in women's sports and would possibly be criticized by their colleagues in the network.
"Steele and Ponder are the only voices at ESPN willing to take the fight to save women's sports head-on. It's courageous," said OutKick's Bobby Burack. "The two women are far stronger than any of the former football players the network [employs]."
