On the end of October, ACFC athlete Elizabeth Eddy made her initial social media statement in almost two years. Within her message, she responded to news that the National Women's Soccer League had quietly dropped its inclusion policy for trans and intersex players, making the league's position undecided.
The next day, her opinion piece was republished in full by a different publication, giving it broader exposure.
“I worry that without clarity about the league's intended participants, it will sacrifice its character and its momentum,” stated Eddy.
The article generally argued for a prohibition on transgender players from the league to protect “the fairness of women's sports.”
It remains uncertain how Eddy believes the NWSL's integrity has been harmed—whether under its previous guidelines that permitted trans athletes or its current lack of one. The league, now in its 13th season, has developed a clear identity. It's extremely contested, commercially and culturally powerful, and an integral part of the global women's soccer scene.
Its growth trajectory seems largely strong—viewership have increased each year, and expansion to sixteen clubs is planned for the coming years.
Eddy references the English FA's new prohibition on transgender athletes as a success story. However, that ban is believed to affect only approximately twenty amateur participants out of 5.5 million registered athletes. The effect in the United States would likely be equally minimal.
Two years ago, when the NWSL's policy of inclusion took effect, there were two transgender athletes: one player and Kumi Yokoyama. They have both departed, and no out trans players presently compete in the league. On the current season's opening weekend, the NWSL celebrated its thousandth player. That's only two openly transgender individuals out of over 1,000 in league history.
Eddy's piece is written as if there is a stream of trans players ready to dominate the NWSL imminently. There is no such thing. There are currently no out trans players competing at a elite level in the US. Federal legislation expressly bans transgender athletes from competing in NCAA college soccer. Moreover, numerous scientifically reviewed research have demonstrated that trans athletes have no inherent physical edge over cis athletes.
In the absence of openly transgender individuals, transphobic attacks have continued along racial lines. When Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda was awarded a top honor, she experienced a wave of online abuse. The league was slow to respond in supporting their star player. Likewise, Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga and her sister have experienced comparable abuse.
“The piece does not represent for this team in our dressing room,” Angel City FC captain Sarah Gorden told reporters. “We disagree with the content for a plethora of causes, but primarily the implications come across as discriminatory against trans people and racist as well.”
Regardless if one were to overlook all that and believe that including transgender athletes constitutes a real problem for the league, it's hard to see how it would surpass multiple of other issues that have actually hindered the growth and affected its reputation.
Transgender players did not factor into any one of these challenges. And it's improbable they will, irrespective of whether the proposed changes are implemented.
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